Festival Quarterly 1982

February, March, April, 1982 |

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culture of Mennonite peo;

Festival. q

exploring the art, faith,

“Mennonite Family” by catherine Prescott

; , ' Mennonite Historical Library
| : | : ’ Goshen College - Goshen, Indiana

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Herald Press:
Fun, Help, and Inspiration
for the Entire Family

For Children:

God’s Family

Eve MacMaster’s first
volume in the new Herald Press
children’s Story Bible Series.
Book 1 retells Genesis, the story
of how God made everything
and what happened next. For

people 8 to 80.
Paper $5.95, in Canada $7.15

Strawberry

Mountain

Birdie Etchison’s novel for
_ 8-to-12-year-olds of a foster
child, a haunted house, a
mysterious old man, and
maintaining one’s faith and
principles in the face of

adversity.
Paper $3.25, in Canada $3.90

Gina In-Between
Dorothy Hamilton’s 27th

children’s book for 9-to-14-year-

olds tells of a girl who has lost
her father in an auto accident
and how she and her brother
come to accept the loss of a

7 parent.
_ Paper $3.25, in Canada $3.90

For Adults:

God’s Managers

Ray and Lillian Bair provide
motivation and complete
instructions for Christians to
create budgets and to keep
accurate financial records.
Practical help on practicing
good stewardship.

Paper $2.95, in Canada $3.55

The Price of Missing
Life

Simon Schrock writes that
life is worth living and that life at
its best includes a commitment
to the lordship of Jesus Christ.
He sincerely believes that to
miss the Christian life, and
consequently heaven, is a high
price to pay.

Paper $2.95, in Canada $3.55

In Favor of Growing
Older

Tilman R. Smith’s
guidelines and practical
suggestions for planning your
retirement career. Maturing
should mean continued growth
and joyful living.

Paper $8.95, in Canada $10.75

Preacher of the
People

Sanford G. Shetler’s
biography of the well-known
Mennonite preacher, evangelist,
and educator, S. G. Shetler
(1871-1942).

Paper $13.95, in Canada
$16.75

Hardcover $16.95,

in Canada $20.35

Something
Meaningful for God
C.J. Dyck edited this
collection of stories of 15
individuals and couples who
have served “in the name of
Christ” through MCC at home

and around the world.
Paper $7.95, in Canada $9.55

Four Earthen

Vessels

Urie A. Bender’s memorial to
the contributions of Oscar
Burkholder, Samuel F.
Coffman, Clayton Derstine, and
Jesse D. Martin to the
Mennonite Church, especially
through their service to the
Ontario Mennonite Bible
School.

Paper $7.95, in Canada $9.55
Hardcover $10.95,

in Canada $13.15

Identity and Faith:
Youth in a Believers’
Church

Maurice Martin explores the
place of youth in the life of the
church as well as related
concerns of conversion and
church membership. He traces
how youth mature and gain the
capability of making a
“conscious decision” of lifelong.
commitment to Christ and the
church.

Paper $3.95, in Canada $4.75

Herald Press

616 Walnut Avenue
Scottdale, PA 15683

Dept. FQ

®

bi hill 117 King Street West

Kitchener, ON N2G 4M5

table of contents

We’re Grown Up Now

There’s a line in the new movie Shoot
the Moon which crops up several times in
various forms. It implies that when a
marriage breaks up, we should be “‘adult”’
about it and accept the situation. “We’re
grown up now.” Or something like that.

It’s an intriguing idea. Sure, |
understand what is meant. Certainly, we
must all grow up. Adult life is more
difficult in many ways than childhood.
Dreams and illusions are brushed aside in
the face of sobering realities.

But | believe the notion so easily
erodes convictions. Rather than imply
that growing up means working harder at
our convictions, the phrase often suggests
that growing up means easing up on our

convictions.

Leaving my spouse is more “mature”
than digging in anew, the modern voice
says. Driving a car is more “realistic” than
traveling with a horse and _ buggy.
Accepting the nuclear age and its risks
seems more “grown up” than raising
questions. Trading on our _ idealistic
background and faith is more “adult”
than reasserting it. Sometimes it seems
that a great many in our family of faith are
listening to that modern voice. But |
celebrate the many who continue to
believe that increasing our faith and
conviction takes more courage and
maturity than letting it slip away.

—MG

Looking for a Sane and

Orderly Life

It was the day our house painter came
that | learned Kelifa Ali went to prison.

Just when we’re finishing up the
painting fringes (left gaping for three
years) and | feel like we can at last have
“comp’ny” with fewer apologies about
our house-in-process, | hear of a
Mennonite being jailed for his faith.

Now a lot of my energy goes toward
tying up loose ends. Dismantling a pile of
files that has accumulated by my desk,

replenishing our light bulb supply,
hemming up Christmas pants (in
February), tracking down shelves to

house our toys instead of the cardboard
box presently giving them shelter, getting
the painting done. Always working

toward a little more order in our lives.
Believing that a litter-free kitchen table
and a drawer and shelf for every doodad
would get us a little further along on the
road to the responsible life.

Now I’m not shooting for ease or
extravagance. I’m just looking for
predictability, an extra touch of
efficiency, a secure routine.

Then | learn that Kelifa and his wife
and children are hoping he has his life for
another day. The ultimate kink in the
schedule.

Well, I’ll realign my focus again; work
toward a little more order without being
consumed by it.

—PPG

Taxes

For readers of FQ unfamiliar with the
history of our peoples, one smail note:
The current news about the Amish being
opposed to receiving welfare from the
government highlights a question which
has continued to haunt us through the
years in various forms.

What is the relationship between a
Christian and the government? Does one
pay all taxes? Does one accept all benefits

from the state? To what extent is
compromise necessary?

The Amish stand on Social Security
and the stand of many more modern
Mennonites on war taxes both require
courage. As with all convictions, these
expressions are open to ridicule. But I’m
happy to be a part of a people who
constantly struggle with these issues.

—MG

CONDH UW

10

12

13

14

Editorials
Letters
Borders
American Abroad
People Stories
Dis-Quest

Our traditions,
when one of our
group dies, have
historic roots, no
matter where we
live in the world.
What’s more,
we’re affected by
the surrounding
culture’s prac-
tices. This time, a
look at Dutch,
Russian, and
Canadian Menno-
nite customs.
Out of Mighty
Waters

A young woman
fights for her sanity, personhood, and
faith in this excerpt from a forthcoming
book. Its powerful imagery and raw
courage cause the story to linger and
return to the reader’s mind.
Is History an Affliction of the Dying?

Does a people’s interest in their his-
tory signal new life, or the irretrievable
passing of something precious?
Creativity Diffuses Shirk’s Hardships

Stan Shirk’s artistry has been shaped
by his commitment to others and has
flourished despite health problems.
The Hyena

An American MCC-er finds himself
entranced by an African storyteller and
his tale.
Worldwide News
Quarterly News

How did the painting featured on
FQ’s cover come to be?
Creatively Aging

Anniversary celebrations can become
whole family occasions.
Foreign Beat
International Quiz

Which is the world’s oldest Menno-
nite congregation?
Publishing Notes
Mennonite Books: In Review
fq’s Quarter-Order
Farmer's Thoughts
Family Creations
Trends in Music

An annual Festival in Harrisonburg,
Va. keeps a cappella music alive.
Best-Selling Books: In Review
Quarterly Film Ratings
Reclassified
Comment

page 18

Festival Quarterly 3

Goshen College Presents

A Not-Always-Serious Week

For Serious Musicians

t

| Music Week
June 13-18

Who says hard work can’t be fun? High school singers and instrumentalists
enjoy Goshen College Music Week so much, many return year after year.

For more information about Music Week ’82, June 13-18, write Marilyn Graber,

Goshen College, Goshen, Ind. 46526.

The Goshen College Workshop for Piano Teachers and Students will also be
offered June 13-18, featuring the GC piano faculty and guest artist Nelita True.
For further information, write “Piano Workshop” at Goshen College.

DIRECTORY Ill

a hospitality travel directory
forthe years 1981, 1982,1983

NOW AVAILABLE

Featuring:

105 International, 2100 N.A. hosts * What to
see in 25 communities * Special on Ger-
mantown plus map e 10 day worship guide ©
Centerfold map of important places ¢ Hosting
guidelines © 46 countries, 45 states, 9
provinces.

single copy $ 6.00*
2 copies $10.00*
3-11 copies each $ 4.50*
12 or more - wholesale list available

“U.S. funds only, price includes postage (4th
class) to one address

| want copies at$
total due

6% tax- PA residents
TOTAL ENCLOSED

NAME
Address

Mail to: Mennonite Your Way
Box 1525, Salunga, PA 17538

4 February, March, April, 1982

FQ readers receive a 20%
discount on many books
reviewed or mentioned in our
book review and news
section. Check the “Quarter-
Order’ between pages 24 and
25 for details.

Just one more benefit of belonging
to the FQ family!

festival
quarterly

The Festival Quarterly (USPS 406-090) is
published quarterly by Good Enterprises, Ltd.,
at 2497 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, PA
17602. The Quarterly is dedicated to exploring
the culture, faith, and arts of the various
Mennonite groups worldwide, believing that
faith and art are as inseparable as what we
believe is inseparable from’ how we live.

Copyright © 1982 by Good Enterprises, Ltd.
Vol. 9, No. 1. All correspondence should be
addressed to Festival Quarterly, 2497 Lincoln
Highway East, Lancaster, PA 17602. Second-
class postage paid at Lancaster, PA. For U.S.
readers: one year — $7.75; two years — $14.80;
three years — $20.90. All other countries: one
year — $8.95 (U.S. funds); two years — $15.80
(U.S. funds); three years — $21.90 (U.S. funds).

Editor — Phyllis Pellman Good
Publisher and Associate Editor — Merle Good

Design Director — Craig Heisey
Circulation Manager — Miriam Buckwalter

Contributing Editors — David W. Augsburger,
Hubert L. Brown, Kenton K. Brubaker, Peter
J. Dyck, Sanford Eash, Jan Gleysteen, Keith
Helmuth, James R. Krabill, Jeanette E.
Krabill, Paul N. Kraybill, David Kroeker,
Alice W. Lapp, John A. Lapp, Wilfred
Martens, Mary K. Oyer, Robert Regier, Jewel
Showalter, Carol Ann Weaver, Katie Funk
Wiebe.

Reporters — Rebekah Basinger, Jim Bishop,
Will Braun, Ferne Burkhardt, Karen Glick-
Colquitt, Donna Detweiler, George Dirks,
Gwen Doerksen, Ernest Epp, Ivan Friesen,
Paul Hostetler, Jon Kauffman-Kennel,
Lawrence Klippenstein, Don Krause, Glen
Linscheid, Randy MacDonald, Loyal Martin,
Arnie Neufeld, Myrna Park, Karen Rich
Ruth, Dorothy Snider, Stuart Showalter,
Peter Wiebe, Shirley Yoder.

Phyllis Pellman Good, Merle Good

On the cover — “Mennonite Family” by
Catherine Prescott. The 72” x 96” oil painting
hangs in the Climenhaga Fine Arts Center at
Messiah College, Grantham, Pennsylvania.

We enjoy FQ very much. The last issue was
especially helpful, as myself and Wilmer
Froese, Laird, were in a panel on “Mission —
Past, Present and Future.”’ Of course | enjoy
Peter Dyck’s (my brother’s) articles, and Katie
Funk Wiebe. Our years are creeping up, too, so
the full life so many elderly are leading is
inspiring. We too believe in being “re-
treaded” instead of “‘re-tired.”

A. J. and Helen L. Funk
Laird, Saskatchewan

We really appreciate FQ! It’s a magazine
we look forward to receiving and read from
cover to cover (usually).

| would like to see more about and from
the “dramatists” among us. as Mennonites.
Surely there are some exciting theatre projects
going on across the country and I’ve noticed
that FQ rarely has the news. Being at Eastern
Mennonite College, | would be interested in
knowing what theatre is happening in other
Mennonite Colleges. | would like to see essays,
articles by Mennonite dramatists and theatre
enthusiasts: Loretta Yoder, Urie Bender, June
Yoder (I was glad to see she was part of your
artists series), Stephen Shenk, etc.

Also — have you considered trying a
Theatre Conference in the same tradition as
your Writers’ and Church Music Conferences?

Keep up the good work — God bless.

Barbara Graber
Hunsberger
Harrisonburg, Virginia

In a recent editorial you asked if MCC is
pulling our leg by simultaneously appealing to
the “gut” through relief sales and to the
“mind” when recruiting volunteers for the
complex tasks of development. As a former
MCC administrator | suggest that the problem
is not so much “double-talk” on the part of
MCC as it is the dilemma of whether MCC
should be an educator/“sensitizer” of the
constituency or whether it is a servant of the
constituency in the sense that MCC must do as
the constituency desires. At the risk of over-
generalizing, | venture to say that most
administrators of MCC have a heavy bias
toward working at the complexities of
development (i.e., concentrating on local
production) rather than relief. The problem is
that the MCC administration constantly
receives requests for concrete things the
constituency can give such as food, clothing,
school kits, health kits, etc. Also relief has
become an appallingly booming business
among agencies which mushroom in size ina
matter of months by flashing grotesque
pictures of starvation on the T.V. screen or in
glossy brochures. MCC constitutents are
moved by this kind of publicity and would
prefer to give through their own agency rather
than an unknown one. MCC must therefore
accommodate these “gut” reactions or run the
risk of losing funds to non-constituency
competitors. You should realize too that the
MCC relief sales. are grass-roots constituency
movements that have been initiated by local
communities and not MCC administrators,
although obviously MCC is deeply grateful for
the funds thus generated.

The dilemma thickens as MCC
accommodates the constituency’s penchant
toward relief by giving suggestions for “hands-
on” projects, as MCC delivers the goods as
appropriately as possible and then rushes to get
a news release out to report on end-use. All of
this stirs ever deeper interest in relief and

generates ever more material goods (along
with funds for relief), to the extent that MCC
appears to be cashing in on the relief bonanza
that is making so many agencies “successful.”
And the MCC administrators, while continuing
to talk the language of development, get ever
more deeply enmeshed in the relief mentality
quagmire. Thus, MCC ends up appearing to
“double-talk.”

Your editorial and my response beg the
question, “What is MCC?” Is it narrowly
defined in terms of the administrators in
Akron, Pa, and the regional offices? Or is it
defined in terms of the whole constituency,
especially those thousands of volunteers who
put so much work into organizing relief sales,
food drives, etc. You see, the two speak
somewhat different languages and therein lies
your problem of “double-talk.” | prefer to see
this “double-talk” as a necessary and healthy
tension.

Ray Brubacher
Elmira, Ontario

Editor’s Note: The following is a copy of a
letter sent to Paul Kraybill, one of FQ’s
columnists. Because it pertains to material
printed in the last issue of Festival Quarterly,
we included it here.

As a teacher of Mennonite history‘ +l
especially enjoy the international quiz section
of Festival Quarterly. It is a good way for many
people to test their knowledge.

| want to point out an error in question 8,
p. 20-1, of the issue of FQ which arrived today
(the “November, December, 1981, January,
1982” issue.)

The General Conference Mennonite
Church does not trace its history toa common
origin resulting from a division with the
Mennonite Brethren in Russia in 1860. The
General Conference Mennonite Church was
organized at a meeting at West Point, lowa, the
second day of Pentecost in 1860. The meeting
was initiated by recent immigrants from South
Germany who were interested in the
progressive causes of education, publication,
missions and Mennonite union. It did not
result in the first instance from a church split-
although some representatives from the East

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Pennsylvania Mennonite Conference, which
resulted from an earlier 1847 schism in
Franconia, were active in the new group from
the beginning. It is quite doubtful if these
organizers of a new General Conference had
any idea of what was transpiring in Russia
between the new Mennonite Brethren and the
old Kirchliche group.

Eventually many of the former
“Kirchliche’”’ Mennonites from Russia joined
the North American General Conference, but
the old organization was never transferred
over from Russia.

| would be interested in the source of your
information on this, because it needs to be
corrected if it is getting into the history books
or the popular literature this way. Please excuse
my pickiness on historical details. It must be a
professional hazard!

Jim Juhnke
North Newton, Kansas

Thoughtlessly, | did not respond to your
renewal notices even when you suggested
action be taken before a needed price increase
— so the inevitable has taken place and with
the seasonal mail many items have been
mislaid, but | wish to continue receiving your
magazine which | have come to both enjoy and
love. It should not surprise you that a Quaker
has found some light and joy radiating from the
pages of the Festival Quarterly. As | do not
recall present rates enroll me for the year and
reimburse me in whatever way you are led —
(no cash please) — perhaps literature.

Felix M. Boyce
Brooklyn, New York

The editors welcome letters. Letters for
publication must include the writer’s name and
address and should be sent to Festival
Quarterly, 2497 Lincoln Highway East,
Lancaster, PA 17602. The editors regret that the
present volume of mail necessitates publishing
only a representative cross-section. Letters are
subject to editing for reasons of space and
clarity.

(or
Pp

el
Sy

“Look, if you don’t want to watch the movie you can sleep. But
we can't have you reading.”

Festival Quarterly 5

© Punch/Handelsman

borders —

Only C Eye But 20/20 Vision

Herbert Bergen had only one eye;
the other was covered by a black patch.
He had a special reason for feeling uneasy
about that black patch.

Herbert was safe in West Berlin. In
the Russian zone of occupied Germany,
today known as the German Democratic
Republic or East Germany, he had never
been safe. At any moment he might have
been identified as a refugee from Russia
and shipped back. This was the fate of
thousands of Mennonites and others who
were not as lucky as he was.

Herbert had made it to the MCC
refugee camp in West Berlin, although
that had not been his original intention.
Like every other refugee, he had two
major preoccupations: to get enough
food to survive and to find the missing
members of his family.

When Herbert discovered the
whereabouts of his aunt, the joy was
mixed with apprehension—she was in the
Russian zone. If he were to be reunited
with her, he would need to bring her to
West Germany. But she would not be able
to manage such a venture on her own. He
would have to help her across the

| american abroad

dangerous border. That meant that while
everyone was trying to get out of East
Germany, he would have to try to get in.
Only then could he help her come out.

But taking her across the border
turned out to be much more complicated
and difficult than they had imagined.
After several unsuccessful attempts, they
gave up the plan and came instead to the
MCC camp in Berlin in the heart of the
Russian zone.

And that is where he found his real
mission and fulfillment; going into the
Russian zone and leading refugees to
Berlin. Each trip was a cliff-hanger.
Sometimes he returned promptly and
sometimes after many days. Sometimes he
brought two or three people, and

sometimes more; on one_ occasion
sixteen.
He was sick and had to be

hospitalized after that trip. It had been
particularly strenuous, not only because
the group was so big, but also because
there were old women and small children
among them. The women couldn’t move
very fast and the children wouldn’t keep
quiet when absolute silence was a must.

It seems he got farmers to haul
people by wagon at night to a railroad
station. Then he would “‘negotiate ” with
the ticket agent to sell him tickets to the
blocked city of Berlin. That was only part
of the nerve-wracking business. The more
difficult part was to avoid boarding atrain
manned by secret police and _ thus
inadvertently delivering all his passengers
directly into their open arms.

On this particular occasion he had all
his sixteen people safely on board only to
discover that the police were at that very
moment systematically combing the train
for suspect passengers. Getting all those
old ladies and children off again
undetected, walking them to another
town and getting them onto a different
train—and wondering at every stop
whether the police would board that one
too—was too much for him. When he
delivered the sixteen safely to the camp,
he collapsed.

One day | asked him how many
persons he had led to safety and how
many times he had risked his own life
doing it. He shrugged his shoulders and
said it wouldn’t be right to keep a record.

On Taking N Nothing Except a Stick ¢ (or

by James and Jeanette Krabill

Then Jesus called the twelve disciples
together and sent them out two by two...
and ordered them, “Don’t take anything
with you on your journey except a stick —
no bread, no beggar’s bag, no money in
your pockets. Wear sandals, but don’t
carry an extra shirt.”

When explorer Sir Henry Morton
Stanley wrote his now-famous letter from
Uganda, East Africa, which appeared in
the November, 1875 London _ Daily
Telegraph, requesting that missionaries
be sent to Mtesa, he suggested such an
outfit for the missionary as would have
suited a trading expedition. And in fact
the Church Missionary Society (CMS)
estimated during this same period that
each of its newly arriving missionaries
would require a ton of goods for a year’s
stay in East Africa, consumable provisions
alone surpassing 700 pounds. Sixty
African porters were needed, according
to New York University Professor Thomas
O. Beidelman, for transporting each
shipment from the coast into the interior.
One missionary at the time estimated
having arranged during the course of one
year for about 1,000 porter-loads not

6 February, March, April, 1982

including additional personal trips to the
coast for checking accounts, ordering
shipments and recruiting and screening
new porters.

Getting foreign workers installed—
and keeping them that way—are
problems which have preoccupied
overseas ministries of all kinds for many
years. There are the practical concerns of
making sure that the many supplies
“essential to the work and to mere
survival” arrive when and where they are
supposed to. And there are certain
theological considerations, such as,
asking the question whether so much
“stuff” is in reality all that necessary and
justified, especially given the fact that
what may be for the overseas worker
indispensable equipment for passing on
the Gospel will more likely than not be
perceived by those helping to unload the
ships as the Gospel itself.

Most persons we know serving on
third-world soil find themselves plagued
by a never-ending circle of self-
interrogation concerning this matter. The
circle goes something like this:
Witnessing to the Good News of Jesus

means doing as He did, identifying wholly
in life and thought with those we are sent
to serve .. . recognizing of course that
being Western, educated and rich will in
fact mean never totally identifying since
we can always fall back on our “hidden
resources” ... nor should we feel guilty
since those around us don’t expect us to
live as they do for this would be
hypocritical, ‘playing games” and what
the locals most desire of us is honesty and
authenticity . . . which means (what a
relief!) we can in all good conscience be
“true to ourselves” and live “differently”
(generally more comfortably and _ less
hassled) than the indigenous population

. although there are of course certain
limits since we know that witnessing to
the Good News of Jesus means doing as
He did, identifying wholly . . . (and we’re
back to zero).

Our dilemma is not of recent date.
This year, 1982, marks the one-hundredth
anniversary of a speech given by the West
African writer and statesman, Edward W.
Blyden, in which he predicts the obstacles
Europeans would inevitably encounter in
evangelizing Africa, due largely to their

—— by Peter J. Dyck

But he did wish he wouldn’t be quite so
conspicuous because of his black
eyepatch. He wondered whether
someday we might get him a glass eye.

We did get that artificial eye for him,
but only after he got to Paraguay and
didn’t need it anymore, at least not for the
original purpose. Still he was glad to have
it.

However, we never doubted that
Herbert had 20/20 vision all along. He had
his priorities straight and was ready to
surrender his own
freedom as the price
for helping other
people into free-
dom.

Peter Dyck has spent a rich life shuttling
refugees to new homelands, overseeing relief
programs, and telling wise and witty stories. At
home in Akron, Pennsylvania, he works in
Constituency Relations for Mennonite Central
Committee.

er
vO

having strayed from the simple,
unencumbering mission strategy outlined
by Jesus for the Twelve.

What is of course obvious is that if
nineteenth century Europeans had
difficulty reducing their baggage, their
problems were peanuts compared with
those of foreign workers disembarking
from the abundant North American
shores of the 1980s. But we’ve got to keep
trying. On the field. And already at home.
Disciplining ourselves to accumulate less
shirts so that when the time comes to
“carry only one,” we
have fewer from
which to choose.

&

James and Jeanette Krabill, Mission
Associates under the Mennonite Board of
Missions, live in Ivory Coast, West Africa,
where they are available to the independent
African churches.

Being a

Black

Administrator in
the Mennonite Church

by Edward C. Taylor

| have been asked to write frankly and
honestly about what it’s like to be black in
Mennonite Officialdom. | must say that in
many instances it has been a very
disappointing experience. Perhaps my
assumptions on what Christian
Officialdom would be was my mistake. |
came believing that it would be a two-way
learning experience as we _ worked
together in the Lord’s work. That was my
first mistake.

| have made every effort possible to

My being black in
an administrative
role in the
Mennonite Church
has been very
difficult for some of
my Anglo brothers.

learn, understand and respect Mennonite
Culture, but when | speak on behalf of the
Black Culture it seems to fall on deaf ears.
When | speak on broader issues of the
Church, the refrain | hear is, ““We need to
hear that, Ed, keep saying it,’”’ but nothing
happens. At this point | need to ask, why
was | hired?

| am committed to Jesus Christ as
Lord of my life; therefore, 1am committed
to Kingdom-Building in every area of a
person’s life, educationally, economi-
cally, socially, politically and spiritually.

Secular institutions hire you for your
expertise in a certain field and they
immediately expect results. It boils down
to whether or not you are achieving the
results they expected. The color is not the
issue, the profit for the company is the
issue. | may be naive, but | believe that we
are in business with and for God so that it
really should not matter what a person’s
color is, but rather how his or her gifts can
be profitable for God.

Being black in a white institution at
administrative levels is not new to me. My
being black in an administrative role in
the Mennonite Church has been very
difficult for some of my Anglo brothers.
They question my right to make certain
decisions that involve them (seemingly
whites can make decisions for blacks and
other minorities, but there is a problem
when the roles are reversed).

Sometimes a decision is changed by
those to whom | report without discussing
the issue with me. (White is right.) Where
is the brotherhood? Yet the decisions |
have made have proven to be the right
ones.

Being a black administrator in the
Church, | have also established some very
meaningful relationships with some of my
white brothers and sisters in the church
and in the office that will be lasting.

| am not ashamed of my blackness. It
is God-given. It is the world that I live in
that has problems with my color. God has
endowed me with all the facilities that
whites have and in spite of the
indifferences and racism that | have found
in the Mennonite Church, | will continue
to work with malice towards no one.

| have and will continually speak
against going into areas to perform
services with no intentions of sharing our
faith or even starting Bible classes, and
against paternalistic practices because
they subject persons to becoming non-
persons. We are not to take care of
people; we take care of children. One
develops people so they can take care of
themselves.

| have been called of God to
Kingdom-Building, and whether | am in
the Mennonite
Church or else-
where | will con-
tinue to do just that.

&

Edward C. Taylor, Indiana is

Elkhart,
Director of Home Missions for the Mennonite
Board of Missions of the Mennonite Church.

Festival Quarterly yi

_ dis-quest

How does your fellow-
ship group deal with
death?

How do you express
orief?

Do your church’s
practices differ from
those of the larger
society around you?

Prussian Practices
Continued in Canada

by D. D. Klassen

To understand the Russian-Mennonite tradition, we must
look back to West Prussia, from where the Mennonites
emigrated to Russia beginning 1788-1870.

In West Prussia, Mennonites in many areas had to pay a
tax to the clergy of the Protestant and Catholic churches for
speaking at the burials of their deceased. As late as 1890 a
Mennonite minister was taken to court because he had a
funeral service on a graveyard at ““Mariennau Prussia.” A
Government decree of 1852 said only the clergy were to
speak at a funeral service on a recognized graveyard. The so-
called lay-ministers of the Mennonites were not regarded as
clergy, and therefore forbidden to speak. However from
October 9, 1898 on, Mennonite ministers were recognized.

Maybe that is why Mennonites did not preach funeral
sermons before the beginning of the nineteenth century.
Their services consisted in singing a song composed for the
occasion by a friend or relative of the deceased. Gergen
Berentz wrote, ‘“‘A song at the death of our Elder Dirk
Jantzen, consisting of 28 stanzas, the singing of which could
have consumed as much time as a funeral sermon”
(Mennonite Encyclopedia, Volume II, page 420).

There were no government-registered graveyards in the

8 February, March, April, 1982

early years of the Mennonite settlement in Manitoba. So
many buried their deceased in the gardens or on their
homestead. In the small village of Halbstadt between
Emmerson and Gretna, one-half mile from the U.S.A. border,
there were three graveyards within one-half mile of each
other, and none of them in good repair. In 1927 a meeting of
all the different churches was held, and it was decided to
register the largest one with the Government. No one was to
be buried in the other two. The Committee in charge was
under obligation, however, for the upkeep of the other two!

In the early years of our settlements there were no
hospitals, so most people died in their homes. We also had
no undertakers or funeral directors. The local carpenter
would make a casket of white spruce lumber; some older
women would wash the corpse and lay it in the box with a
removable lid the length of the casket. The body was covered
with white linen and green house-plant leaves and some
flowers. For the funeral the cover was removed and left open
for viewing after the service. This viewing part became a
nuisance later when we held funerals in large churches and
800 or more people filed past the coffin, one by one, shaking
hands with the bereaved.

Before good roads and cars came, funerals were held in
the homes. The corpses were stored in the coolest room in
the house; in hot weather large iceblocks were piled around
the coffin. The graves were dug by voluntary labor; the burial
was also done by those who came to the funeral. The family
stayed by the graveside till the finish. It was almost
unbearable for the bereaved to hear the frozen blocks of
earth fall on the coffin with a bang!

Since there were no telephones or cars, the funeral was
announced by general letters, with the names of invited
guests on one page, with each person being requested to
share the letter with the next person in line. Now all the
invitations are made by our own local Radio Station CFAM
Altona every morning at 9:00 o’clock a.m. Recently there
were 15 announcements. My wife and | listen to them every
morning, and if we are not among them we go to our daily
tasks!

D. D. Klassen, Carman,
Manitoba, Canada has been a
Mennonite minister for 51
years. He continues his pastoral
work by writing radio
meditations. His hobby —
writing words of comfort and
sympathy to bereaved families.

Cremation
Practiced in Netherlands

by Jeltje T. de Jong

The people in the Netherlands let it be known if a loved
one dies through cards sent to relatives and friends. We
recognize the cards by the black or grey border on the
envelope and card itself. The cards can be very simple with
only the deceased’s name, birthday, date of death, the names
of close relatives, and the time and date of the viewing and
the funeral. Christians often have a Bible verse on it or a
song that expresses their feelings.

There is an announcement in the local paper, and if the
person is better known, in the larger newspapers. Friends and
relatives, and others that were acquainted may express their
sympathy through announcements of condolence in the

newspaper.

This spring when one of our Mennonite ministers died
there was a viewing the evening before the funeral in a
special room in town. People could go to meet the family
and see, if they wanted to, the box partly opened.

The next day before the funeral service started it was also
possible to see him. The box was in the front of the church,
close to the pulpit, with many flowerpieces around it. The
flowers were mostly white; there were ribbons attached with
the name of the persons or organization that gave them with
messages on them. (In recent years many relatives ask that
money be given for mission work or relief work, in the
deceased’s memory, instead of flowers.) Most of the people
would walk up front, look for the last time at the man they
had known so well, and stand there for a moment. The coffin
is usually very simple, inside and out. The deceased is dressed
in Sunday clothes, or in a new nightgown or pajamas. The
body does not have to be embalmed.

(In some villages in Friesland the cemetery is around the
main church. A few years ago | attended a funeral where the
deceased was to be buried. The church bell rang as the
church service started; then again at the time the box was
carried three times around the cemetery, and again after the
Lord’s Prayer was said at the grave, while the box was
lowered into the ground. The tradition of ringing the church
bell and circling the church with the coffin began as an
attempt to confuse the evil spirits.)

Just before the church service started the relatives came
in. During the service the minister mentioned some specific
events from the life of the person that died.

After church, we went to a place outside of town, where
the crematorium was. In the auditorium there was a short
devotion, with music and quiet time. Especially then there
was the strong feeling of parting.

After this we all went to a room where we could meet
the relatives and express our feelings, have something to
drink and something small to eat.

Many people in Holland choose cremation. But there are
still those that want to be buried. Then the church service is
held at the cemetery.

This funeral was so different from the one | attended a
few years before this. The person was not a Christian. We left
from home right away for the crematorium. There we sat for
a time with the relatives in the auditorium. The box was there
with some flowers. We listened to classical music. After a
while the daughter thanked us for coming and we left the
auditorium again. We could meet the family; there was a
drink and a snack. | know that some non-Christians will read
a poem, or have a commemoration.

Jeltje T. de Jong grew up in
the Netherlands, has lived in
Luxembourg, served in a
mission program in Indonesia as
a housemother, and is presently

a student at the Associated
Mennonite Biblical Seminaries,
Elkhart, Indiana.

A Mennonite Funeral Today
in the City of Winnipeg
by Gerhard Lohrenz

Mrs. Mary Braun has passed away and the family calls the
minister. He comes immediately. Then they cail the

undertaker. There is a Mennonite undertaker here in the city
and most of our people avail themselves of his service. He
picks up the body and arranges for an appointment with the
family the next day.

At this appointment the place and the time of the
funeral are decided upon, a coffin is selected and the price
agreed upon.

Next the family meets with their pastor. The service and
other details are decided. The pastor and another minister
are asked to speak, one in English and the other in German,
each for about 15 minutes. A group of members will sing two
songs and a relative will read the obituary of the departed.
The service will last about 45 minutes. Funeral expenses are
met partly by the family and partly by the congregation. All
help, such as in preparing and serving the meal. Singing is
gratis and is willingly rendered by members of the
congregation.

The evening before the funeral there is a meeting of the
family and close friends at the funeral parlor. The body, resting in
an open coffin and dressed in a dress supplied by the family,
usually the departed’s best dress, is viewed by the visitors.

Someone has been asked to be in charge of this meeting.
They sing two or three well-known songs and a ten minute
sermonet is given. Words of encouragement and hope are
spoken. Then the family assembles around the open coffin
and expresses their grief.

Next day at about ten o’clock the body is brought into
the church. The open coffin is set up in the foyer where
visitors can view the departed. The family assembles about
twenty minutes before eleven in a special room of the
church and at five to eleven, preceded by the funeral
director and the ministers, walks into the foyer. They once
more view the body and then the coffin is closed. The
ministers, followed by the coffin and the relatives, slowly
enter the sanctuary and move to the front of it. The
congregation stands. The ministers mount the platform and
the coffin comes to rest in front of the pulpit. The family take
their places in the front pews. In their messages the ministers
evidence empathy and point to the source of hope and
comfort found in Christ. At the end of the service all those
present are invited to come into the lower auditorium for a
fellowship meal. The coffin is carried into the hearse. Most of
the visitors come down for coffee.

In the lower auditorium the tables have been set. The
members of the family and the ministers take their place at
the head table. Coffee, buns, cookies and cheese are served.
A brief prayer is said. Many friends express their condolence
to the family. A member of the family then thanks all visitors
for their presence and participation.

Then those who wish and those who must accompany
the body to the cemetery. Here the closed coffin is placed
over the open grave. All gather around it and the minister
reads a few verses from holy scriptures and offers the final
prayer and benediction. Then the funeral director takes a few
flowers from the coffin and gives one to each member of the
family. Now the coffin is slightly lowered into the grave. All
the guests leave the cemetery.

Many come up to the bereaved family and express their
condolences.

Gerhard Lohrenz, Winni-
peg, Manitoba, has chronicled
much Russian Mennonite
history in his published stories,
and photo histories.

Festival Quarterly 9

Editor’s Note: Out of Mighty Waters is a
full-length book, scheduled for
publication in June, 1982. It is an
unusual book, memorable for the
author’s courage in telling her very
excruciating story; unforgettable for the
powerful images she uses. The
following excerpts are taken from
throughout the book.

W.. black oceans heaved and

rippled and sighed and twisted far
beneath wispy white clouds. The TWA
jet flawlessly droned high above the
Aegean Sea, the lonian — seas of
Ulysses’ nightmare odyssey among the
gods.

In my seat by the airplane window,
| twisted restlessly, thirsting for escape
from the panic and doom sneaking
among my feelings like ceremonial
masks with grotesque teeth dancing
ominously. | was fleeing primordial
Africa — and the Dragon.

By my ankles in an airline cot slept
my firstborn son, six months old,
breathing, protoplasmic organism
needing food and diapers constantly.

“John, we don’t have any more
diapers!” | turned to my husband
beside me. ‘Whatever shall we do?”
Stewardesses were for such things —

“Ask the stewardess, would you,
please, John.”

“| hate to bother her... .

“Well, what else can we do,” |
snapped. “Why did you check that
other bag with the luggage?” I wasn’t
concentrating on other people’s smooth
feelings right then. We were headed for
a fight.

“Lois, please!”

The tone infuriated me further.
Pleading, cajoling, ignoring — What was
| to do! Everyone was so blind! Didn’t
they see we were all careening
blissfully, smoothly, sleepily, hopelessly
to our doom?

It was July 1969, the stewardess
handed us a couple of disposables for
the wet infant who had been born on
Valentine’s Day. We were taking him
home with us to America.

High school sweethearts, John and |
had been married after our third year in
college. John was the fourth child of

a”?

10 February, March, April, 1982

Out of Might

pioneer missionaries to Tanganyika. He
taught me about the world. | taught
him about America.

Amid the work in Africa, my time
had been internally tumultuous. With
God and my journal | wrestled privately
with theological, social, and psycho-
logical questions. My upbringing to be
a “submissive” Mennonite woman had
not equipped me for visible sharing in
the forums where such questions were
avidly and openly discussed;
nevertheless, | had much to say, and |
said it to myself and God.

| had not been in Kenya for a year
when vague physical symptoms began
to bother me. | felt overly tired and
short of breath. As a child | had
experienced severe allergies. Perhaps,
now, some of them were flaring up
again. Perhaps it was the chalk dust. Or
some pollen.

One day | was wearily and
doggedly pinning wet diapers to the
clothes wire beside our house. It was
noon, and the equatorial sun blazed
through the thin atmosphere of the
highlands. Suddenly a flash exploded
inside my head. | felt a surge of panic.
Something seemed to direct me to run.
Partly in a trance, | left the laundry and
ran inside. Following an inner
compulsion | grabbed my Bible and
opened it randomly. | hardly knew my
eyes were falling on the chapter called
Revelation 12. But suddenly | bolted,
every fiber of my being alive. | read the
apocalyptic symbolism of a woman with
child, of a dragon, of a pursuit.

“And the serpent cast out of his
mouth water as a flood after the woman
that he might cause her to be carried
away of the flood .. . And'the dragon
was wroth... .” gene:

| read, heart beating wildly, of the
sun and the moon and great portents in
the heavens. Yes! | was being pulled in
two directions by the “sun” and the
“moon.” The sun was my desire to do
“man” things and the moon my desire
to do “woman” things. | arrived at that
logic by recalling that in Joseph’s dream
the sun and moon were his father and
mother. . .

| was already on my long flight.
Revelation said the woman was given

the wings of an eagle to fly to the
desert. No one else saw the danger —
yet. | would fly out of Africa on the
“eagle” before the onslaught of The
Dragon. No doubt the others would
eventually follow.

Thus began the Great and Terrible
Escape. My flight led through visions,
wild actions, intricate reasonings,
apocalyptic symbolizing, and always
fear, fear.

Now I was in a hospital room in
Washington, D.C. The nurse and the
orderly accompanied me to the
mattress on the floor. At their wary
commanding invitation | sat upon the
device. The nurse and orderly backed
quickly out the door. The door closed
and a lock clicked. With a horrid
realization | knew | had been betrayed,
trapped, and abandoned.

Trying to control my panic | saw
that the walls were chipped and smeary
with violent suggestions. | banged my
bare fist upon the battered lock. The.
pain startled me as if in a dream. |
circled the room restlessly like a
lionness in a cage. The Apocalypse — it
would come. ..1 could not stop it...
| had not been able to salvage even my
family. My grave would be with the
wicked. My mind sank deeper and
deeper into the black abyss.

Well, now | was “home,” wasn’t I?
Home to Ephrata, Pennsylvania, land of
my physical birth, spiritual rebirth, and
early training. Home, broken in mind
and spirit, confused and agitated,
befogged with stuporous mind-
medicine. ...

To raise my children. To be a
“good Mennonite wife.” | tried
determinedly and dutifully to obey.

“Carest thou not that | perish?”

Dr. Hyle stepped into the room to
introduce himself. An earthy sort of
man with a surprisingly casual
appearance, he seemed full of energy
and confidence. Before he left us, he
pounded his fist into the air above his
head.

“We’re gonna get this!” he said,
like a football player ready to tackle.
For the first time in many months a
glimmer of hope shone into my life.

My feelings broke through the ice
of suppression in jerky spurts.
Sometimes | felt wildly creative, and
then | wrote poems. Poetry was a way
of taking the tip of a feeling which |
spotted projecting above the debris of
fear, gently scraping away the
surrounding earth and lifting the prize
in my hands to cherish and relive. It

Waters

also became a way to release intense
feelings that began to keep me awake
at night.

| again took to opening the Bible at
random, seeking answers for the
unanswerable. Once when | was
overcome with confused feelings, my
Bible fell open and my eyes rested on
Mark 1:31: “And he came and took her
by the hand, and lifted her up; and

immediately the fever left her, and she
ministered unto them.” Some peace,
gratitude, and hope surrounded me
then, even in the midst of my
restlessness.

| struggled to keep my mind on a
similar wave as other people’s. It was
more and more exhausting. | tried to
remain objective, as | observed and
figured and struggled to conclusions |
hoped would keep me tenuously tied
to the world as everyone seemed to see
it. The harder | tried to remain rational,
the more my mind did not serve me.

| was acutely aware of the possible
future. Barred forever from the exhila-
rations and sensibilities of humanity.
Discredited in my conclusions — for did
she not “have mental problems’’?
(Anyone who disagreed with any of my
ideas could rationalize thus.) Was |
doomed to a sensitive chemistry that
refused to cooperate? Doomed to
eternal watchfulness and control, to
questioning the validity of my
perceptions? Doomed to the control of
the scientific sovereigns who legislated
standards of ‘appropriateness’?
Doomed to a plodding life of manual
chores?

“It’s marvelous the way the mind
and body work together,” said Dr. Hyle.
“What we’re working for is deep inner
balance and peace. | would like, with
your permission, to give you something
that will help a whole lot!” said my
PhD. friend who had first trained to be
an orthomolecular psychiatrist.

At home in my kitchen, |
swallowed Ziman (zinc and manganese),
vitamin E, vitamin C, buffered
niacinamide, a multi-B vitamin, vitamin
B6, dolomite, and zinc. It was a start. |
went into our bedroom to lie down. |
felt some headache and nausea and
continued twinges of sensitivity.

Because of the many-sided
“coincidences” that finally fell together
to create wholeness, it seems clear to
me that it was God who brought me
out of the mighty waters, from my foes
when they became too strong for me.

“When will | begin to notice a
difference?” struggling people yearn to
know when they start their vitamin
therapy.

“Oh, it took me two years,” was
the disheartening response of Dr. Hyle’s
secretary/receptionist in 1978.
(Fortunately, today orthomolecular
science has greatly improved its
diagnostic accuracy and speed of
effectiveness.)

A restored mind and body,
opportunities for investigative and
creative release, and a marriage that
also was in process of renewal was a
healthful combination. There came a
time | could do without the last traces

by Lois Landis Shenk

of the haldol drug completely. It
coincided with increased understanding
of the damage such drugs can do, and a
more precise ability to cope
nutritionally with times of stress in my
life.

One night | fell asleep early
without my quarter milligram of haldol.
In a dream | found myself suddenly
laughing and laughing — long,
delicious laughter.

| awoke to find it was midnight, but
felt as if I'd had a good night’s sleep. |
went downstairs to take my vitamins. |
looked at the teeny bit of haldol drug
with revulsion. | didn’t swallow it.

The next night | felt all right, and
thought maybe | could do without it
while continuing with the vitamins. For
the next couple of days, minor nausea,
abdominal cramps, twitching muscles,
and “raw feeling” nerves were the only
sign of withdrawal. The second night
without the drug, after having taken it
for a total of more than seven years,
plus two years of thorazine in addition,
| lay on my bed and prayed.

“Lord, | believe I’m following you
in this, but | am a little scared. Take my
hand and heal me, if you will.”

Excerpted by permission from the forth-
coming book, Out of Mighty Waters by Lois
Shenk. © 1982 by Herald Press, Scottdale, PA
15683.

Landis

Shenk,
Pennsylvania, today divides her time among

Lois Lancaster,

being a wife and mother, writing, and

completing a Master’s degree in General
Education.

Festival Quarterly 11

Is History an Affliction
of the Dying?

he editor of Festival
: Quarterly wonders
whether “a Men-
nonite group, when it builds a
museum to house its artifacts
is on its way to its end.” Some
of the most traditional
Mennonite and Amish
groups, she observes, don’t
seem to need ‘books, programs,
societies, and collections.” Is the concern
for history “something we grab for when
something vital is slipping away?”

As a sometime historian, | can hardly
think of a more provocative set of
questions. As one interested in the
growth and well-being of the church it is
clear these issues cannot be ignored.

The same day this query came my
way, the historian, William H. McNeill,
wrote in the New York Times (Dec. 28,
1981) that truth lives within myths, those
stories among us that stress our
commonness, make our experiences
understandable, and help us act. We
ought to study the past to keep the many
sides of those myths alive and working.

Some see history as an affliction;
others see it as essential for well-being.
David Donald, a contemporary American
historian, thinks the American experience
(myths) of abundance may now be
irrelevant in an age of scarcity. Even
Lincoln, he argues, believed that ‘‘the
dogmas of the quiet pass are inadequate
to the stormy present.” On the other side,
the younger, more radical Christopher
Lasch thinks that today’s “preoccupation

with the self’? is rooted in our
“devaluation of the past.”
We must explore whether the

historical concern, recovery and revision
among Mennonites are _ positive
contributions to a growing tradition or
whether they are romantic ideals of a
people afraid of the late twentieth
century.

What do museums in Souderton, St.
Jacobs, Steinbach and Archbold signify?
What vitality is expressed through
libraries in Lancaster, Goshen, North
Newton and Winnipeg? Can histories,
journals and articles produced in
Harrisonburg, Elkhart, Fresno and
Waterloo provide useful, relevant stories
for the renewal of the church and
strengthen the resolve of the
peoplehood?

There is no simple or obvious answer.
It is difficult to make an assessment

12 February, March, April, 1982

History that celebrates but
does not recall pain and
struggle will inspire no one.

midstream. Some of this historical work
has a narrow and specific focus: to
preserve artifacts and stories.

Another dimension of this historical
concern is an effort to understand the
inner life, the logic of the Mennonite
movement. Only a minority of even the
professional historians among us have
been able to find the myth that can
explain our past and at the same time,
generate a vision for now and the future.

Just because the more traditional
groups among us are not building
museums or writing their histories does
not mean they are without a sense of
history. The books they use — the Bible
frequently in German, the hymnbook,
often the Ausbund, the commentaries
either Menno Simons or Matthew Henry
— are evidences of a great sense of
continuity in time. Their lively stories
threaded throughout their conversation
are likely not from the newspaper but
from the oral records of family and
church. And the “charter” or covenant
they cherish and pass to the next
generation is as real as ancient Israel’s
when “‘the glorious deeds of the Lord, and
His might, and the wonders which He
wrought” (Psalm 78) were the heart of the
worship liturgy.

The flurry of activity called history is
not necessarily fully developed history.
Records without interpretation,

restorations without explana-
tion, are not history. History
that celebrates but does not
recall pain and struggle will
inspire no one. Genuine
history, the real thing, grows
out of a profound recon-
struction of the mentality and
spirit of another epoch. Re-
cords and artifacts represent an artistic
sensitivity, a level of technological a-
chievement, a sense of purpose, a
corporate view of life, a spiritual vision
and struggle, a level of prosperity, and
some sort of political stability. History is
the re-enactment of the past. But at the
most creative level history generates the
truth in a story; McNeill called it myth.

The answer to the question of this
little essay is not either/or. There are
indeed many histories and many myths.
Harold S. Bender’s The Anabaptist
Vision, a daring history which gave birth
to a myth, inspired a generation of
Mennonites. But new times, new
situations, and new evidence requires
that myths be modified, revised and
updated. The most recent surge of
interest in the Mennonite past tends to
emphasize the more recent past in North
America and Russia rather than the more
distant past in Switzerland, Germany and
the Netherlands. The new Mennonite
history will speak to an audience no
longer primarily European but global in
character. The story will not only appear
in German, Dutch and English, but also in
Swahili, Hindi, Spanish, Japanese and
Indonesian.

Whether history serves the living or
the dying will be determined by more
than those who record and interpret. The
user, a participant in contemporary
history, can put into practice the essence
of the story, enlarge the picture, and find
new frames of meaning. The user can also
treat the Mennonite past as a noble
experiment, fondle the memory but
otherwise ignore its relevance. Then
surely history will be the affliction of the
dying.

John A. Lapp is the provost at
Goshen (IN) College and professor of
history.

Creativity Diffuses Shirk’s

Hardships

Wren Stanley R. Shirk of Lyndhurst,
Virginia painted his first cardinal at five
years of age — using dime-store water
colors — an artist was born. He didn’t
know it then, but years later when he
arrived in the Sherando area of Virginia,
his innate gift found fresh inspiration
from the colorful valley and majestic
mountains. A native of Pennsylvania, Stan
grew up mainly on the flatlands near
Atmore, Alabama, where his parents rana
cabinet shop weekdays and pastored a
small rural congregation part-time. Stan’s

skills in drawing, painting, and woodcrafts

were honed by the hard knocks of
experience.

His only brush with professional
training occurred during high school days
when he took a course in charcoal. Each
student prepared a “masterpiece” for
exhibition at the completion of the
course. To Stan’s dismay, someone — “‘no
doubt out of jealousy,’ Stan says —
marred his sketch with big X’s the night
before the exhibition. “lI couldn’t even
enter the competition at that late hour,”
Stan says.

After marriage to Mary Jane
Detweiler of Blountstown, Florida, in
1967, Stan served as vice-president and
salesman for Five Star Mobil Home
Marketers in Tallahassee, Florida, until he
felt a call to something more challenging.
In the fall of 1969 he resigned and the
family moved to Rosedale, Ohio for a year
of Bible Institute and preparation for the
ministry.

After completing school in the spring
of 1970, Stan and Mary Jane accepted a
pastoral assignment in Jamaica. Before
leaving, the Mountain View Mennonite
Church “adopted” them as their mission
family. During the seven years of their
work in Jamaica and during furloughs
every two years, Stan continued to
develop his drawing, painting, and

1974, four-year-old daughter Sandi had

by J. Allen Brubaker

woodcraft skills.

During a second furlough in 1974, the
family purchased three-and-a-half acres
of land along Route 664 near the
Mountain View Mennonite Church.

The beauty and harmony of God’s
world that Stan captures in his paintings
and woodcrafts counterbalance the pain
and hardship he and the family have
known. A pony-riding accident in his
mid-teens eventually required several
spinal surgeries that left him with several
less spinal discs and a vulnerable back. In

open-heart surgery to repair a hole in the
two upper chambers of her heart.

A lung disease hospitalized him in
Jamaica in 1976. While in King George V
Sanatorium in Kingston for three weeks,
he took graph paper and designed a

house on their mountain land. After
recuperation and furlough in 1976, the
family returned to Jamaica. Ten days later,
though, the symptoms of Stan’s lung
disease returned. At the advice of their
doctor, the family terminated their work
in Jamaica and returned to the Sherando
community in April 1977. “During this
time the mountain people surrounded us
with love and made us one of them,” Stan
notes.

Stan quickly recovered and during
the summer, he and a brother, Sanford,
along with help from the community,
built their rustic house, using rough sawn
fir siding. They built the house
themselves, including the cabinets, built-
in desks for daughters Debbie and Sandi,
a china cabinet, etc, “One of my friends
helped with the electrical wiring and |
later built his kitchen cabinets,” Stan
notes.

From 1977 to 1980 he served as a
minister on the pastoral team at Mountain
View Mennonite Church. He also did
public relations for the Virginia

Mennonite Board of Missions and
conducted evangelistic meetings from
New York to Florida, Michigan to

Delaware. He also found time to paint and
craft wooden wall plaques and rustic
centerpieces.

“| painted Cockfight to remind Mary
Jane and me not to fight,” he notes with a
twinkle in his eye. When he was 19 years
old he painted “Orchids in Portrait’ for
Mary Jane’s grandmother on her 40th
wedding anniversary. Some of Stan’s
handcrafts are on sale at Mountain Blue
Crafts along Route 814, just beyond the
entrance to Sherando Lake and the
Mountain View Church.

Stan and Mary Jane recently
purchased a cabin along Route 664 into
which they have poured their creative
energies. Dubbed “Cabin Creekwood,”
they have refurbished this quiet, secluded
resting place for anyone who wants to get
away and enjoy the cool breezes of the
Blue Ridge Mountains, hear a
mockingbird, pick a wild flower, fish for
trout in Back Creek, or swim in nearby
Sherando Lake. Renters enjoy Mary Jane’s
oven fresh bread topped with apple
butter or jelly, or cookies or a pie and a
lazy rest in a hammock, swaying to the
tune of water tumbling over rocks in the
nearby stream.

The family has woven together all the
ingredients for home-spun togetherness,
tranquility, and good ole’ Virginia
mountain hospitality. Known as “The
Wheatly Place,’ the Shirks have
developed this country cottage into a
resort mountain cabin, as a project to raise
money for their church and mission
board.

In November, 1981 Stan began
pastoring the Mountain View Mennonite
Church along nearby Route 814. He also
continues to craft momentos and to

capture the beauty of God’s world in oil
paintings, as time permits.

J. Allen Brubaker, Harrisonburg, Virginia,
is director of news services for Mennonite
Board of Missions, Media Ministries.

Festival Quarterly 13

Photos by Allen J. Brubaker

t was late in the afternoon by the time we pulled into

Boni. We had been driving all day, stopping

periodically to talk to people about water. We had seen
many dry wells. At lunchtime in a small restaurant we had
found some rice that gummed to the roof of your mouth. It
was warm, though, and relatively free of stones, and so felt
good filling an empty stomach.

There are two main roads to Boni and we had traveled
the east-west one. You can travel there from the capital on a
paved road but we had come in the back way, on a good dirt
road.

It was early in the month of May. The ground was dark
and spotted with shoots of grass, the fruits of the first rains of
the season. It was like the green specks were taunting the
dominating brown shades ready to snuff them out.

Our contact in the village was Martin Lanu. He was what
we would call a “progressive farmer.” He always planted in
rows and he collected the dung his oxen left under their
hangar for fertilizer. He kept his fields clean and he had
made a trip to Bobo to ask about new sorgum varieties. He
loved to talk about his farming. It was like he was married to
the brown earth.

Martin was the leader of the local cooperative. He
wanted to work together with others even though he could
do just as well on his own. In fact the cooperative probably
inhibited him. But he was just the man the cooperative
needed.

We found his house and were given chairs to sit in while
we waited for him to return from his fields. My chair was
slightly off balance and always jerked to the left when |
leaned back. Ed’s cloth chair was low-slung creating an
impression that made me smile. Ed looked at me quizzically.
We both leaned back. It felt good to get out of the car at
day’s end. We drank of the water that was brought to us in a
green metal bowl. We sat there and relaxed in the shade of
the tree.

Some chickens walked by. They scratched, scratched and
pecked, their heads darting from side to side. Chickens never
appear satisfied. When | lifted my right leg to cross it over my
knee three of them flapped their wings and cackled as they
sprinted away. Then they began scratching and pecking
again.

Martin returned with two relatives. Each of them had a

ENA___

Artwork by Craig Heisey |

14 February, March, April, 1982

daba over his shoulder. We stood up to greet them.
Everyone’s family and home was doing fine. Everyone was in
good health too. We all shook hands. Martin’s hand was
rough and calloused. He must have noticed that mine was
smooth. | don’t often work with a daba.

It was getting dark. To the east you could see rain clouds
forming. Martin looked out at the clouds. He said it would
start raining later in the evening after we ate.

We talked about his fields. His oxen were trained and he
hoped to farm more land this year than ever before. If the
rains would come it could be a good year. We all agreed that
we would be grateful should God grant Boni abundant
rainfall during the coming months.

The cooperative was not going so well. Everyone wanted
credit but they weren’t sure how to apply for it. We had
some papers with us and tried to explain. Martin nodded his
head in agreement but we doubted if his relatives
understood. The papers asked many questions and seemed to
confuse them. One of them asked why they needed to
answer in writing all these questions when it was clear they
needed credit and that they were hard workers. We agreed
that they would work hard but said this is just how the
system works.

Soir’ would come on the radio. Everyone who under-

stands French listens to the evening news. A song from
Senegal was played, filling the last seconds before 8:00. We
listened quietly. The song faded out. It was 8:00. There was
the sound of drums. “Ouagadougou Soir’ had begun. The
announcer said the President had met the French ambassador
that afternoon. At the same time, Martin’s wife brought us
our tO and sauce. The men would eat together first and later
the women and children would eat. | noticed several pieces
of chicken in the sauce. We would get more meat than the
women and children.

The t6 burned my fingers. It was good t6, not nearly as
grainy as you get farther north. The sauce was spiced
perfectly, warming the mouth. It felt good to gnaw on the
chicken bone even after all the meat was gone. She was a
good cook.

We talked little as we ate, listening to the news. In the

: t was dark now and time to eat. Soon “Ouagadougou

distance the clouds moved closer. Martin ate twice as much
as | did.

When we had finished we licked our fingers and washed
our hands in a bucket of water. We let our hands drip dry as
we waited for the coffee. The coffee was dark and full of
sugar. | added milk to mine. It was like a warm soft drink. Ed
does not normally drink coffee but now he sipped slowly
from his tall glass.

| asked Martin and the others if there were any lions
around Boni. Jean said that lions used to terrorize the villages
around Boni but now they were rarely seen. ‘That is too bad
for the lion is a beautiful animal to see,” said Ed,
remembering his days in East Africa.

“But it is not so beautiful when it attacks people,” said
Jean. “They don’t really, do they?” | inquired. “Do you want
me to bring you the old one; he will tell you,” came the
reply. We sat silently. | remembered now hearing stories
about animals eating people. During the day you can think
about such stories and talk about them with a light heart and
a carefree spirit. But now at night strange and foreboding
thoughts began to fill my mind. The lantern was burning
dimly on the table made from wood slats. We each held our
glass of coffee in our hand. The clouds were growing darker.

“But it is not the lion | worry about,” said Martin, “‘It is
the hyena that | must be careful of.”

All the men nodded their heads. | could see a bead of
sweat forming on Martin’s forehead near his hairline.

66 any times during the night we hear the
laugh of hyenas. There are many of them around
Boni. They live back in the bush away from our
fields. At night they seem to come closer to our village.

“The hyena is a very strong animal. Its jaws can crush
with ease any bone in your body. They are always looking for
flesh to chew on. The hyena will devour a dead animal and
will attack a living one. And they will kill human beings.”

We sat motionless as Martin paused. Then he continued.

“Many people in Boni believe that some people who
once lived here are now hyenas.”

Had | heard correctly? Maybe my ears were playing tricks
on me.

“You mean the hyenas remind people in the village of

Festival Quarterly 15

certain people who have died,” | ventured.

“More than that. Some people have disappeared and the
villagers think they have become hyenas.”

“Surely you don’t believe that?” | asked.

No one said anything. Then Martin spoke.

“1 will only tell you of an incident that happened about a
year ago in our village. There was a man living on the other
side of Boni opposite from where we are right now. He had
only been here a few years. He had come from south of
Bobo. He asked for land and the chief gave him some. He
worked hard in his fields and did not speak much.

“It is unusual for a man to come to a village without
already knowing someone there. But that is what this man
had done. Of course, he needed food to eat. So he arranged
with a neighbor lady to prepare some to for him every day.
She did so and her daughter brought the food twice a day.
He seemed a first happy enough although he didn’t say much
to anyone else.

“Then one day he got into an argument with a neighbor.
It seems that the neighbor’s field bordered his. The neighbor
accused the man of stealing some tools that he had left in the
field the night before. The man denied it. The two almost
fought but some others intervened. Three days later the man
disappeared. The girl who brought his to said he had left
everything neatly in place as always but he was gone. She
thought maybe he had gone somewhere and would be back
in the evening. So she brought more to in the evening but
he still wasn’t back. This went on for a couple of days. Soon
it was clear that the man was gone for good.

ow the neighbor he argued with was the kind of

person who made everyone laugh but whom no one

could respect. He drank too much and he talked too
much. Still, he was funny even though you always laughed at
him as much as with him. When he learned the man was
gone he talked all the more. He took it upon himself to
proclaim that he had chased an unnecessary element from
the village.

“The neighbor always wore a floppy hat and a bright red
shirt. One evening he was drinking and talking again about
how he had chased the man from the village. He was wearing
the hat, the red shirt and a pair of old brown pants with a rip

on the side. Sometimes he would wave the hat as he spoke.

“His family and others staying at his house said he slept
outside in the courtyard that night. Since the rains had not
yet begun in earnest it was the only sensible thing to do.

“In the morning he was gone. During the night the
others said they heard a noise near the wall and the sound of
something scratching at the mud-brick wall. One little boy
thought he had seen an animal perched briefly on the wall.
But nothing was seen for sure. However, everyone heard,
later in the night, the howling of the hyenas. They seemed
especially loud that night.

“The next day several hunters went out into the bush.
They saw a hyena standing by itself under the shade of a tree.
The hyena was big and well fed. The hunters shot it with
their rifles; the second bullet killed it instantly.

“They walked up to the hyena. One of them took a knife
and cut it open underneath. Out came the floppy hat, the
red shirt and the brown pants.”

e all sat around the table looking at the lantern.
The coffee was cold. The wind was beginning to
blow. The rain was about to fall.

We gathered our chairs and hauled them inside. Martin’s
wife reached for our glasses. | brought the lantern in. Ed
carried the table. The rain was beginning to fall. The clouds
were big and dark. Maybe it would be a good rainy season.
Then we heard a long roll of thunder and the sound of rain
crescendoing on the tin roof. No one would sleep outside
tonight.

Ks)

Stephen Penner lives in Upper Volta, West Africa as a Mennonite
Central Committee country representative.

SOA HAREM,

16 February, March, April, 1982

worldwide news

Puerto Rican Mennonites View Anabaptist History

At the invitation of the Puerto Rico
Mennonite Conference two’ North
American Mennonites recently made a
fraternal visit to the annual Puerto Rico
Mennonite Convention.

Historian Jan Gleysteen and writer-
editor Levi Miller, both of the Mennonite

Jan Gleysteen

Nicaraguans
Study Peace

When set in a country wracked by
war, a peace study retreat will be full of
hard questions and deep fellowship. Such
was the case recently in Nicaragua when
130 pastors, church leaders, and lay
members gathered to discover how their
faith should express itself when their
country is experiencing revolution.

José Ortiz, originally from Puerto

Rico and now Secretary for Latin

$ ,
sh/

Levi Miller

Publishing House in
Fathers.”

“Faith of Our

Scottdale,
Pennsylvania, travelled to the Convention
and congregations around the island,
showing ‘‘Faith of the Church,” a Spanish
translation of the slide presentation,

Originally
conceived and put together by Gleysteen,

the program sketches Anabaptism’s
beginnings in Europe and its spread
throughout the world.

The reason for Gleysteen and Miller’s
visit was two-fold: to bring the visual
history to the Puerto Rican church (at
their request) and to allow Gleysteen to
photograph all of the Mennonite
meetinghouses in Puerto Rico and then
add those photos to the slide
presentation. In addition, the pair has
written stories about the Puerto Rican
Mennonite Church for publication in
North American periodicals.

Key quotes from Menno Simons and
other Anabaptist leaders were translated
into Spanish and incorporated into the
slide program as well. “Menno Simons
looks like a Spanish padre anyway!”
commented Miller.

Was the visit a success? “When
Anabaptist forces, charismatic-
Pentecostal influences and Puerto Rican
culture have a conversation, it may not be
measurable success, but at least there was
interaction,” said Miller. “The church
leaders there are certainly interested in
learning more about Anabaptism.” fay

Concerns in the Mennonite Church, led
four sessions using J. C. Wenger’s We
Believe booklet series as resource
material. He discussed the history of the
Latin American Church and the eventual
coming of churches with Anabaptist
origins, the fact that one’s faith will be
expressed in one’s life, the way of peace,
and finally the role of the Anabaptist
pastor in the future.

It is likely, judging from the warm
response of the participants, that more
such training-fellowship retreats will
become a regular part of Nicaraguan
Anabaptist life. kal

Menno-Home
Opens in Bolivia

Menno-Home has been established
in downtown Santa Cruz, Bolivia, as a sort
of guesthouse Anabaptist center. Situated
near major bus routes and the train
station, the Home has three rooms for
overnight guests and a book corner
offering German and English books for
sale which are along Anabaptist historical
and theological themes.

In addition, the hosts at the Home
which is supported by Mennonite Central
Committee are prepared to help
Canadian Mennonites with immigration
and settlement papers.

Congregation’s Life
Explored in
“Festschrift”

The German Mennonite congre-
gation of Bechterdissen has published a
“Festschrift” on the occasion of their 25th
year of existence. Cause for their
celebration comes also from the fact that
they grew during those 25 years from sixty
original members to 1060 members.

The “Festschrift” explores their
history and growth from the viewpoints of
a cross-section of the members.

Agape Verlag
Publishes
Second Title

A German publishing company which
has reopened under the name of Agape
Verlag has just published its second title in
a year’s time: a translation of Ronald J.
Sider’s Christ and Violence, originally
published by the Mennonite Publishing
House. Agape Verlag’s first title was the
German translation of John Howard
Yoder’s The Politics of Jesus. The
translations have found a large response
since their publication.

Festival Quarterly 17

Why A

Family’’?

When Catherine Prescott and her
husband, Ted, came to Messiah College in
Grantham, Pennsylvania, to teach art they
met Paul and Laura Nisly and their family.
Paul Nisly is Associate Professor of English
and chairman of the Department of
Language, Literature, and Fine Arts at
Messiah. He and Laura are the parents of
Janelle, Lamar, and Randy. It was a rich
encounter for Catherine, who after
watching the Nislys for several months at
faculty dinners and around campus,
decided to ask them if she could make a
painting of them.

“My motivation for doing the
painting was that the Anabaptist
sensibilities were all new to me. The Nislys
were the first family that | met that exuded
those things. Asa family, particularly, they
showed those things. . . and | can’t say
more than that verbally. | can say more
visually, and that’s what | wanted to show.
Their sensibilities were new and dramatic
to me. It had to be a family, a whole family.
And | had to paint it.”

The result is “Mennonite Family,” a
72” x 96” oil on canvas which was
completed earlier this winter and now
hangs in Messiah College’s new Fine Arts
Center.

“Other people more rooted in
Anabaptism have said, ‘Oh yes, it’s right,
it’s right!’ ”’ commented Mrs. Prescott to
Festival Quarterly. She takes those
remarks as deep compliments since her
attempt was not to simply record quaint
figures. “I had to paint someone | knew. |
couldn’t come to Lancaster and just paint
folk figures. That would be deadly. It
would be killing the very thing | want to
capture.”

For “Mennonite Family” Prescott’s
primary information came from many
photos of the Nislys in a variety of poses.
But her painting departs, then, from that
raw material. “l would say that my work is
more ‘painterly’ than photos are. I’m not
so much interested in representation and
accuracy as | am in characterization, in
truth?’

The portrait was three months in the
making. “I really agonize over my
paintings,” explains Prescott. “That’s why
they take so long. It’s like most people
who make something; | just change it and
change it and change it. | probably did the
father’s face five different ways. Then
there’s a point at which | just stop; | know

18 February, March, April, 1982

‘Mennonite

| have it the way | want it. Then | have to
make everything work together. Those
things in the background are not just
incidental; they have to enhance the
people. The tea cups and a clock aren’t
symbolic. But they belong there in that
kind of house with those kind of people.”

How did the Nislys respond to the
nearly life-size oil? “Il don’t think they
realized how large it was going to be,”
said Prescott. “But they were beautiful.
Paul wrote me a wonderful note thanking
me for showing their closeness. | think it
was easier for him to write it to me than to
say It.

“| invited them to my house for a
private viewing before it was to be
displayed publicly. They didn’t reveal a lot
of their feelings, which | guess is typical!

“The women were especially modest
and solemn. When Janelle, the daughter,
came to the opening and saw not only this
large painting blasting away, but another
head and shoulders portrait of her done
in pastels, she said she felt somewhat
exposed. But that is exactly what | want to
have happen when | paint portraits.

“ “Mennonite Family’ is a portrait. It’s
about these people. It’s an important
painting to me.”

Mennonite
Festival of

Arts Scheduled

The Mennonite Festival of the Arts, a
nine-year old tradition for the Kitchener-
Waterloo, Ontario area will be held
Saturday, April 24 from 3 to 8:30 p.m. at
Rockway Mennonite School in Kitchener.

Festival planners are putting together
their usually popular smorgasbord of
activities, this year around the theme,
“Created in the Image of God.” The focus
is International Arts, honoring creativity
from countries outside North America
where Mennonites have lived and
worked. Displays of these arts and crafts
will be arranged throughout the school
buildings.

Live stage presentations for the
whole family will be offered, from music
to creative movement to storytelling. A
supervised play area will be an option for
children ages three to nine. And
international foods will be served from
4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

The Festival is sponsored by the
Rockway Mennonite School Association.

Randy Shenk

Vera Kuhns (left) and Carla Mast

A quilted mural portraying part of
Eastern Mennonite College’s campus is
being completed (above) for an auction
to be held during Homecoming Weekend
in April.

Art graduate Carla Janzen Mast
designed the scene which shows the old
administration building from the fish
pond. Vera Kuhns of Greencastle, Pa. is
overseeing the appliqueing and quilting
being done by women of the Cedar Grove
Mennonite Church near Greencastle and
by EMC students.

The quilted mural will hang in the
EMC administration building, a gift of the
highest bidder who will receive a sketch
or reproduction of the quilt. &

creatively aging .

When Oscar and Bessie Weaver’s
fiftieth wedding anniversary rolled
around, their seven children offered
them a weekend celebration that stirred
old memories and made new ones.

Explained daughter Melba Martin of
Goshen, Indiana, “Too often in life we
tend to take things for granted and do not
praise God and affirm each other for
things that might not have been — suchas
a marriage that lasts 50 years.”

And so the four daughters and three
sons gathered with their families on a
Friday evening last fall to present their
parents with a quilt full of symbols of their
life together (pictured). The setting is
Yellow Creek Farm near Goshen where all
the children (each is pictured in a typical
farm task) and Bessie were born. At the
top of the quilt is a knot representing the
durability of Oscar’s and Bessie’s
marriage. Highlighted in the background
is the Yellow Creek Mennonite Church
which was a cornerstone in the budgeting
of the family’s time, finances, talents, and
energies. The farm scene is framed by
three scriptures — a praise, a pledge, and
a promise — which reflect the teachings
in the Weaver home. Maple _ leaves
quilted into the sash of the piece
remember the large old hard-maple trees
that shaded the rambling farm house.

Family Gathers to Give Thanks

On Saturday evening the elder
Weavers’ brothers and sisters joined the
gathering for a pig roast and story telling.

Then on Sunday morning the
worship service at Yellow Creek included
a litany of thanksgiving for the Weaver

family, also presented by the children.
“We reviewed the stages of our growing-
up years and thanked God for
understanding parents and our heritage,”
commented Melba Martin. A_ public
reception at the church followed on
Sunday afternoon; a chance for other
friends and extended family to greet the
Weavers.

It was a celebration for more than just
Oscar and Bessie. Reflected Melba, “For
the first time we seven children and our

spouses worked together in a joint effort,
a rare experience which may never
happen again. We were amazed at the
variety of gifts we all had to bring. It was a
rich time for all of us.”

Slabaugh Returns “Tree” to EMC

Ye

Randy Shenk

Moses Slabaugh, retired minister in
the Virginia Mennonite Conference, has
made his eighteenth grandfather clock.
His latest one is crafted from a walnut tree
which grew near original Eastern
Mennonite College buildings. Slabaugh
discovered the tree when it had been
felled by a storm and offered to make the
College a clock from it, if he could have
the tree. The College agreed; Slabaugh
asked for one qualifier — that he be given

Slabaugh (left) and Detweiler examine the new clock.

LR

no time limit for completing the project,
in case his age caused interference.

Intent on quality, Slabaugh built the
clock case entirely of walnut, in contrast
to many kits which have plywood backs.
Slabaugh’s reason? A solid walnut back
gives the clock a “firmer chime.”

The 84-inch high clock is in the
President’s Room of the EMC Library but
will eventually be moved into President
Richard Detweiler’s office. Detweiler,

upon receiving the clock for the school,
expressed his gratefulness, too, for
Slabaugh who is known for ‘‘making the
most of his time’ and for being an
advocate for the elderly.

Some Advice for
Middle-Aged
Children

A Guide to Caring for and Coping
with Aging Parents by John Gillies is full of
practical ideas as well as reflections on
Gillie’s own experiences with his parents-
in-law. Released in 1981 by Thomas
Nelson Publishers the book is written
from the point of view of a middle-aged
offspring. Gillies covers the issues and
decisions that come to children as their
parents require more dependency while

still needing to maintain some
independence. In addition, fourteen
chapters detail “‘Evaluating Care

Alternatives,” ‘Providing Health Care,”
“Handling Money Problems,” and other
practical concerns.

Festival Quarterly 19

The Artist as Social Critic

How to Apply
To Receive FQ — Free

20

by Jan Gleysteen

festival quarter Last summer the ARTRAIN, a five-car front as social critics, first and foremost in
Se ey eee nes museum on wheels, came to Scottdale. It Germany. And apparently their
was my privilege to serve as guide- statements hit home. In 1937 Adolf

lecturer, sharing a witness of peace and Hitler’s_ propaganda minister, Josef

Also in this issue —
Trying a Kenyan Solution to a Kenyan Problem
*° Who are the Umsiedier? — A photo essay
* Reviews of 10 Mennonite Books
« Red Dirt, by Pam Heap of Birds

compassion to the visitors while
explaining the lithographs and woodcuts
of the German artists between the wars.

The artist’s role as social critic is
relatively recent. One of the first to

It wasn't till our
century that the artists,
poets, and musicians
came to the front as

Goebbels, published a catalog to go with
an exhibit of what the Nazis considered
“Degenerate Art.” The show and the
catalog featured works by Ernst Barlach,
Kathe Kollwitz, Erich Heckel, Otto Dix,
George Grosz, Ernst Kirchner, and others.

One of them, Otto Dix, was
considered so ‘“‘degenerate” by the Nazis
that no fewer than sixteen of his pieces
were included in the show. Most of Dix’
works were scenes from World War I,
recorded with urgency on whatever

paper was available, such as brown
° : ue : wrapping papers. Dix’ sketches show
(through the International social critics, first and cavernous Seder craters filled with

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(excluding western Europe but
including Central and South Americas)
to receive FESTIVAL QUARTERLY
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personnel of Mennonite programs and
projects are also eligible.

Qualified persons will receive a
two-year subscription free. The
signature of the congregational leader
or organizational representative
recommending the application is
required.

It is suggested that the applicant be
active (or interested) in the life of the
church (not necessarily Mennonite) and
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language to qualify.

Forward coupon to:
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February, March, April, 1982

foremost in Germany.

express social concerns was Francisco
Goya (1746-1828). Like most of the Spanish
artists and intellectuals of his day, Goya
had his opinions about the frivolous,
stupid, and contemptible rulers of Spain.
Indeed, as a celebrated court painter, he
knew them well.

So when in 1808 Napoleon invaded
Spain, Goya looked forward to a more
enlightened regime. When instead, the
French invasion was accompanied by
senseless brutality, Goya began recording
the horrors of war in a sketchbook in
graphic detail. From these sketches he
developed eighty engravings under the
title: Los Desastres de la Guerra (The
Disasters of War). The prints were
considered too violent for their time and
were not published till 35 years after his
death. Apparently they were eyewitness
accounts, for Goya’s simple captions read,
“This |saw... And this too...”

Although Goya’s works were the
record of specific historical events, one
can hardly imagine a more forceful
indictment against all wars!

A contemporary of Goya, the
Frenchman Honoré Daumier (1808-1879),
one of the greatest draughtsmen of all
times, used humor, realism, and satire to
expose the injustices of society around
him. One of his lithos, No. 12 Rue
Transnonain, April 15, 1884, is his
statement against police brutality. In
another we see a fat and sleepy judge
lecturing an unemployed man: “So you
were hungry... you were hungry ... that’s
no excuse ....1 myself am hungry nearly
every day, but that doesn’t make me
steal!”

It wasn’t till our century that the
artists, poets, and musicians came to the

socket-eyed cadavers. The works are as
strong a statement against war as Goya’s
Disasters.

Of Erich Heckel’s works at least seven
hundred were gathered by the Nazis to be
hacked to pieces and burned. Ironically,
Goebbels’ 1937 catalog has become a
handy checklist of great German art of this
century, including the works of two great
Christian pacifists, Kathe Kollwitz and
Ernst Barlach. Outside of Germany the
Flemish woodcut artist, Frans Masereel, is
worthy of mention. In one of his prints a
draftee looks puzzled when handed his
rifle: “... Yesterday acrime... but now?”

The great Mexican muralists of the
twenties, José Posada, Diego Rivera, José
Clemente Orozco, and David Siqueiros
produced powerful statements against
the exploitation of the poor by the rich
land-owners and industrialists. In 1933-34
Diego Rivera made a mural for the
Rockefeller Center which was_ later
destroyed because Rockefeller, Morgan,
and Ford saw themselves exposed as
exploiters of the people in a panel called
“The Millionaires.” Quite often in history
the artist and the poet have been able to
do more to create a mutual awareness
between groups with divergent ex-
periences than
could be done by
social reformers,
politicians, or edu-

cators.
&

Ses

Jan Gleysteen, an artist and historian, lives
in Scottdale, Pennsylvania, where he works for
Mennonite Publishing House and participates
in Tour-Magination as a leader of tour groups
in Europe.

international quiz — :

What About Your
European Cousins?

by Paul N. Kraybill

10.

11.

72;

Which of these European nations do not have any Mennonite (Anabpatist)
congregations? a) Portugal b) Italy c) Monaco d) East Germany
These German villages, Backnang, Enkenbach, and Espelkamp, are so familiar
to many North Americans because they were their ancestral homes.

True or False?

The Umsiedlerbetreuung is which of these?

a) a town in Austria b) a youth camp in the Netherlands

c) an organization that ministers to Russian immigrants in Germany
Which well-known German Mennonite leader was the person largely
responsible for initiating the first three meetings of Mennonite World
Conference? a) Fritz Kuiper b) Christian Neff cc) Fritz Goldschmidt
Match these European Mennonite periodicals with the sponsoring
conference.

A. Mennonitische Blatter 1. Verband, Germany

B. Gemeinde Unterwegs 2. Dutch Mennonite

C. Algemeen Doopsgezind Brotherhood — Netherlands
Weekblad 3. French Mennonite Conference

D. Der Zionspilger 4. Swiss Mennonite Conference

E. Christ Seul 5. Vereinigung, Germany

Which is the world’s oldest Mennonite congregation?

a) Witmarsum_ b) Basel c) Geisberg d) Langnau

The official name of the Swiss Conference is “Altevangelischen
Taufgesinnten — Gemeinden” (Old Evangelical Anabaptist Community).
True, False?

“Worte des Lebens” is the name of a German language Mennonite radio
program originating in Switzerland. | True or False?

Match the names of these European Mennonite sisters with the proper

description.
A. Marie Noelle Faure 1. President of the Dutch
B. Jo van Ingen Schenau- women’s organization
Elsen 2. Minister in the congregation
C. Ruth Wedel in Hamburg, Germany
D. Anita Lichti 3. Professor in the European

Mennonite Bible School —
Bienenberg, Switzerland

4. French Conference delegate
to MWC General Council

5. Secretary of Intermenno
Trainee Program

6. President of the Dutch
Mennonite Brotherhood

Name the countries in which each of these institutions is located.
A. “European Mennonite

Bible School” — Bienenberg
B. “Bibelheim — Thomashof”

(Conference Center)

C. “Le Bon Livre” (Bookstore)
D. ‘‘Mont-des-Oiseaux”’

(Home for retarded children) Savile bo Ts ll Sens el
The two Mennonite conferences in which country merged in 1980?
a) France b) Germany c) Netherlands
The joint mission organization representing Mennonites in France, Switzer-
land, Germany and the Netherlands is known as
a) EMEK b) IMO. c) MERK

E. Mary Matthijssen
F. Louise Nussbaumer

(Answers on page 22.)

Paul Kraybill is Executive Secretary for Mennonite World Conference.

Celebrate
Creativity!

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Festival Quarterly

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22

Quiz Answers
. a) Portugal;
De

c) Monaco

False. These are villages where Pax
men from North America built
homes to resettle Mennonite
refugees after World War II.

. c) An organization that ministers to

Russian immigrants in Germany.

. b) Christian Neff

Aw5*> Bo 1232 aD 4 bos

d) Langnau (Switzerland)

True

True

As 3! Bs 67 Ca2) Deon. i be 4,

. A. Switzerland; B. Germany;

C. Luxembourg; D. France

. a) France
. a) EMEK (European Mennonite

Evangelization Committee)

(Questions on page 21)

+budelt(be ~

“With this model, in the event of peace you simply
remove the upper partand t's a ploughshare,
with no beating.”

February, March, April, 1982

2

_ publishing notes

@ The Mennonite Board of Congregational
Ministries (Elkhart, Indiana), has compiled
major articles from the first ten issues of
Youthink, their biannual youth ministry
publication, into a booklet by the same title.
The articles, in essay form, are accompanied by
original drawings by Joel Kauffmann.

e The story of a General Conference
Mennonite missionary couple’s sojourn to and
in China during the early 1900’s is recorded in
Clear Shining After Rain, by Matilda K. Voth
(Mennonite Press, 1980).

@ Simon Schrock, author of Get On With
Living, has written a new book on the rewards
of living the Christian life, now called The Price
of Missing Life (Herald Press, 1982).

@ A unique book approach has brought
together four major theologians, among them
Mennonite Church Moderator-Elect Myron
Augsburger, each to state their beliefs on war
and non-resistance, and then to be critically
answered by the three others. Published by
InterVarsity Press, 1981, War: Four Christian
Views, is edited by Robert G. Clouse.

@ A new book in German, Die Mennoniten
Bruedergemeinde in Russland 1925-1980, by
Heinrich and Gerhard Woelk, has been
published by the Center for Mennonite
Brethren (MB) Studies. A modern Martyr’s
Mirror Story, it depicts not only the struggle
between the Russian Government and
Mennonite Brethren, but also between MB’s
and Baptists, and MB groups themselves.

@ Down Singing Centuries: Folk Literature of
the Ukraine, compiled and edited by Louisa
Loeb of Ukrainian Mennonite background,
brings songs, folk poems and legends from
Russia, originally published by Florence Randal
Livesay, 65 years ago. This 1981 edition by
Hyperion Press (Winnipeg) is color illustrated
by the Canadian artist Stefan Czernecki.

® 220 years of the Lancaster County, PA-based
Conestoga Mennonite Church are
commemorated in As Long As Wood Grows
and Water Flows by J. Lemar and Lois Ann Mast
on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of that
congregation’s first church building.

@ Art Gish’s 1973 book on simple living,
Beyond The Rat Race, has been reprinted by
the Mennonite Publishing House in a new
trade paperback edition with a new cover
design.

e@ Short stories, poetry, dramas, ink sketches,
songs and black and white photos are being
solicited by the Mennonite Central
Committee’s Task Force on Women for
possible inclusion in a published collection of
Artists’ Approach to Women’s Concerns.
Contributions are to be sent to Esther Wiens, 77
Henderson Highway, Winnipeg, Manitoba,
R2L 1L1, by June 1, 1982.

e A_ group of Manitoba Mennonites,
originally from South America, has begun a
new magazine called Mate Monthly. Mate,
(pronounced phonetically mah-tay,) is a
popular hot beverage among Mennonite
Brethren in Paraguay, prepared by pouring hot
water on yerba leaves, or made into a drink
called terrerre by using cold water. Mate
Monthly’s goals are to explore the religious
and social influence of mate in several
branches of Mennonite Culture, for example
on the poetry of Sara Binks of Saskatchewan.

e@ Preacher of the People (Herald Press, 1981)
by Sanford G. Shetler is a biography of S. G.
Shetler (1871-1942), reflecting not only the
family life of a Mennonite bishop and teacher,
but also an era in the Mennonite Church.

e MCC (Canada) has issued a 28 minute
filmstrip, complete with cassette and leader’s
guide, called Grave of an Unknown Salvadoran
Refugee, a church worker’s view of refugee
fate in Honduras. This filmstrip can be a
companion to the MCC study packet The Face
of Change in Central America.

e@ Elmer S. Yoder is the author of The Amish
Mennonites of Macon County, Georgia
(Diakonia Ministries), a new 259 page softcover
book with 110 pictures detailing 17 years (from
1953 to 1980) of history of the Beachy Amish
community of Montezuma.

e@ Mennonite Brethren in Canada now have a
forum for expressing concerns in Perspectives,
a new monthly magazine published in
Winnipeg, Manitoba. Themes in one of the
earliest issues included discussion of
theological, social and political issues.

@ Mennonite music and prayer are two
themes explored carefully in Church Music
and Worship Among the Mennonites by
Orlando Schmidt and Prayer in Corporate
Worship by Anne Neufeld Rupp. Both booklets
are prepared by the Worship and Arts
Committee of the General Conference
Mennonite Church and published in 1981 by
Faith and Life Press in conjunction with the
Mennonite Publishing House.

@ Out of the 1978 centennial celebration of
the Blumenfeld, Manitoba village has grown
the book Blumenfeld: Where Land and People
Meet by Peter and Irene Friesen Petkau,
published by the Blumenfeld Historical
Committee.

® Conrad Press of Waterloo, Ontario has
published Solomon Stucky’s 224 page
paperback, The Heritage of the Swiss
Volhynian Mennonites, which traces the
history and development of this Anabaptist
group from their beginnings, up to the 1874
migration to Kansas, and their subsequent
merging into more mainstream Mennonitism.

mennonite books: in review

Family Night at Home (A

Manual for Growing Families),
Kindred Press, 1981, 153 pages. $8.50.

Reviewed by
Muriel Thiessen Stackley

This book is credited to the Pacific
District Family Commission of the
Mennonite Brethren (MB) Church, but if
you dig into “Acknowledgments” you
find that Phyllis Martens is the editor.
FNAH is an ambitious project, all the more
because it is unapologetically MB, thus
limiting sales.

Thirty-six chapters are in four
sections: ‘“‘The Family,’ ‘‘Myself,”’
“Beyond Family,” “Mennonite Brethren
History, Missions, Services” (Chapters 34-
36).

The book assumes two-parent
families and rootedness in the Scriptures.
MB families have here a rich and lively
textbook. The same can be said for non-
MB families who can adapt Chapters 34,
35 and 36.

Here are games, recipes, irresistible
activities, Conversation starters, charts,
role plays, stories, litanies, puppet plays,
Bible studies and drills. Here is also a nod

to the larger Mennonite family:
recommended reading includes authors
David Augsburger, Doris Janzen
Longacre, Guy Hershberger, H. A. Fast, J.
C. Wenger, Elaine Sommers Rich, Barbara
Claassen Smucker, and Ruth Unrau, as
well as Christian Living’s 37-article series
on “When Your Child...”

Some concerns: A female and/or
minority race “genius” could have been
listed along with Albert Einstein and
Thomas Edison in the chapter on gifted
children; three writers of the book are
named in “Acknowledgments,” but
frequent first person pronouns call for
sectional by-lines.

Muriel Thiessen Stackley, Lincoln,
Nebraska, is editor of the bi-monthly Report on
MCC’s Task Force on Women in Church and
Society.

FQ price — $7.65
(Regular price — $8.50)

Practicing the Presence of the

Spirit, Myron Augsburger. Herald Press,
1982. 288 pages. $7.95.

Reviewed by
Robert L. Hartzler

This small book will be most helpful
to study groups and to persons seeking
direction through the current maze of
charismatic claims and opinions.
Augsburger affirms the positive relational
aspects of the Spirit-filled life while
rejecting the polarizing and manipulative
tendencies of neo-pentecostalism.

Written from an evangelistic bias, it is
a corrective commentary on the
charismatic movement from the
perspective of a Mennonite churchman.
The author does not limit his audience to
Mennonites nor does he apologize for his
Anabaptist perspective.

The Nicene Creed is included in the
preface as a healthy hedge against any
new unitarianism. The pages are sprinkled
with quotes from Torrey, Tozer, Wesley,
Jones, and Moody. A simple helpful
prayer closes each chapter.

The fourteen chapter titles are not
descriptively clear. The book suffers from

a lack of human interest illustrations. The
tone is a bit preachy. The theological
language will be heavy for some. The
study questions like the chapter titles tend
to be abstract and unclear to the average
reader.

On the other hand, Mennonites
should rejoice at the way the Anabaptist
doctrines of discipleship, community,
non-resistance, and humility are
emphasized as integral to the Spirit-filled
life. Itisa good book. (And a needed one.)

Robert Hartzler is pastor of the
Washington (lowa) Mennonite Church and a
writer of curriculum and worship materials.

FQ price — $6.35
(Regular price — $7.95)

Epic Fiction: The Art of Rudy

Wiebe, w. J. Keith. U. of Alberta Press,
1981. $10.00

Reviewed by
Alice W. Lapp

Prof. W. J. Keith of the University of
Toronto here discusses the novels of Rudy
Wiebe. He mentions other works of
Wiebe in passing as they relate to his
novels and a Bibliography which includes
novels by Wiebe, books edited by Wiebe,
his fiction in books and_ periodicals,
articles and reviews by Wiebe, articles of
criticism by others about Wiebe’s work,
and background studies on Mennonites
and Canadians of other ethnic groups.

Rudy Wiebe demands re-reading and
concentration. His writing is sometimes
rough-edged but always virile and
colorful. Critics have scored him on his
sometimes clumsy style and misuse of
words. One must remember that English
is not his mother tongue.

Peace Shall Destroy Many and First
and Vital Candle complete his fictional
apprenticeship. In these two novels are
hints of future epic quality. With The Blue
Mountains of China he becomes a major
novelist. This saga traces both the
character and the spiritual development
of a people. In The Temptations of Big
Bear, Wiebe explores another ethnic
minority, the Indian, and a tragic clash
between two irreconcilable views of

human beings and their environment.
The legendary Metis rebel Louis Riel is the
protagonist of The Scorched Wood
People.

According to Keith, Wiebe has set out
to do what he can for the epic of Canadian
life past and present.

Alice W. Lapp, Goshen, Indiana, is an
English teacher and active as a church and
community volunteer.

FQ price — $9.00
(Regular price — $10.00)

Festival Quarterly 23

mennonite books: in review

Study War No More: A Peace
Handbook for Youth, David S. Young,
editor. Brethren Press, 1981. 95 pages.
$3.95.

Reviewed by
Wally Kroeker

At first glance this looks like the
perfect book for wavering teenagers who
find army recruitment ads appealing.

But it’s not. Those uncommitted to
the way of peace likely won’t be
persuaded by these Church of the
Brethren writings. Not that it isn’t a good
book; it just presupposes an audience
already somewhat committed to peace.
Talk of economic injustice, Nestle’
boycotts, draft resistance and Rocky Flats
trespassing may be a bit advanced for the
youngster who thinks Jesus was kidding
when he told us not to fight.

A strength of this book is its con-
viction that peace is a broadly based life-
style rooted in a right relationship with
God. “Peacemaking is not as much a
decision about military service at time of
war as it is building a positive lifestyle for
handling conflict,” says editor Young.

Like many multi-author books, this
one suffers some unevenness in tone and

style. And despite its target audience of
“junior high and youth groups,” many
teenagers may find the lofty peace-and-
justice rhetoric tough going. The
Brethren content (historical sketches,
conference statements) is high, but this is,
after all, a denominational book.

Serious readers wanting an overview
of the issues surrounding “a spirit of
peace and an attitude of nonviolence”
will find this book useful. Those who want
something to convert the uncommitted
can look elsewhere.

Wally Kroeker, Hillsboro, Kansas, is editor
of the Christian Leader.

FQ price — $3.55
(Regular price — $3.95)

Nuclear War and Lancaster

County, (Donald B. Kraybill and John P.
Ranck. 1981. 105 pages. $3.95.

Reviewed by
Levi Miller

This is an ugly book. The photos of
burned victims of Hiroshima are
repulsive. The figures that 89,000 people
would be killed if a bomb fell on Lancaster
remind us that our friends would be
among that statistic. Occasionally one
should read an ugly book.

In this 105-page monograph the
authors have personalized the issue of
thermonuclear war by placing it in a
specific place, Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania. The book notes the present
nuclear build-up and arms race. The U.S.
and the Soviet Union have over 17,000
nuclear warheads. Then the authors make
some assumptions about an attack on
Lancaster. In this case, a one megaton
bomb is exploded directly over the city.

In separate chapters the authors
describe the physical, the human, and
long-term effects of such a bomb.
Although the authors use no exclamation
marks or impassioned diction during this

gruesome description,
exclaims.

Generally, the authors took
conservative figures and estimates which
lend credibility to this scenario of horror.
That there is virtually no defense against
nuclear weapons seems somewhat
hopeless.

In an epilogue the authors make
some suggestions on preventing a nuclear
war. In another forum, | might argue
about the assumptions and the viability of
some suggestions, but this is not the place,
nor the main burden of the book. The
point of the book is to inform people of
the danger, the ugliness, of nuclear
weapons. In that it succeeds.

yet the copy

Levi Miller, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, is
editor of Builder magazine.

FQ price — $3.55
(Regular price — $3.95)

| Forever Summer,
| Forever Sunday

Peter Gerhard Rempel's
Photographs of Mennonites
in Russia,
1890:1917

Forever Summer, Forever
Sunday, edited by John D. Rempel and
Paul Tiessen. Sand Hills Books, Inc. 1981.
144 pages. $17.95.

Reviewed by
Wilfred Martens

24 February, March, April, 1982

Occasionally, | discover a book that
I’d love to spend an evening with in front
of the fireplace. This is such a book. It is a
collection of photos of Mennonites in
Russia. So. .. What else is new? But these
photos are done by a professional studio
photographer — Peter Gerhard Rempel.
And therein lies the difference.

Rempel grew up in the Ukraine, but
studied photography in Germany. He
returned to Russia to practice his
professional skills, 1890-1917; then in
1923, emigrated to Canada.

The uniqueness of this collection lies
in the many professionally-posed shots.
The poses reveal an image of European
culture rather than ordinary village life. It
is the golden age of which they dreamed
rather than the village life which they
really experienced.

The photos are arranged in four
sections which correspond to periods of
development in Rempel’s career.

Accompanying the photos are selections
from his diary.

Although it is an impressive
publication, there are no page numbers.
There is no table of contents to identify or
introduce each part — only notes at the
end of the book.

The 27-page introduction by the
editors is excellent and provides a good
context for the photos.

Wilfred Martens, a novelist and poet is
Professor of English at Fresno (California)
Pacific College.

FQ price — $16.15
(Regular price — $17.95)

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mennonite books: in review

OOS As

A Cloud of Witnesses: Profiles

of Church Leaders, edited by J. C.
Wenger. Eastern Mennonite Seminary,
1981. 288 pages. $9.95.

Reviewed by
David Smucker

This rather arbitrary selection of
seventy-two brief biographical sketches,
averaging four pages, ranges across
church leaders from the first to the
twentieth centuries—from Ignatius of
Antioch and Bernard of Clairvaux to
Wolfhart Pannenberg of West Germany
and George R. Brunk | of Virginia. As the
editor states, the purpose of the book is to
instruct, whet the appetite for more
reading and “alert to error.” The
contributors, almost entirely Mennonite
scholars, adequately perform their
cramped tasks.

The perspectives of Anabaptism and
contemporary Protestant Evangelicalism
loosely inform both descriptions and
evaluations of the witnesses. Many
authors highlight their subjects’ beliefs
which mesh with Anabaptism/
Evangelicalism and identify unacceptable
views. Occasionally one meets excess—
when Kierkegaard is transformed into a

precursor of contemporary Evangeli-
calism. Yet the basic weakness of the
book, lack of a clearly articulated and
unifying rationale, limits its usefulness as
an introduction to church history.

The book will appeal to a Mennonite
and evangelical audience who feels
secure with the guidance of interpreters
from within the camp. To those who have
always looked with suspicion on witnesses
outside the free church tradition, it might
give an ecumenical nudge; some of the
authors have been inspired by their
subjects. To those who have already
identified with the full cloud of Christian
witnesses, this book will be only a partially
satisfying reminder.

David J. Smucker is the genealogist at the
Lancaster, (PA) Mennonite Historical Society.

FQ price — $8.95
(Regular price — $9.95)

From Word to Life, Perry Yoder.
Herald Press, 1982. $12.95.

Reviewed by
Marlin Jeschke

Like many other Christians, especially
Protestants, some Mennonites have been
bothered by the recent development of
the so-called historical-critical study of
the Bible, the unfamiliar and threatening
method of analysis and exposition that
offers startling conclusions varying in
many instarices from old and familiar
views.

In these Conrad Grebel lectures for
1980, Bethel College (KS) Professor of
Bible Perry Yoder spells out in plain
English an eight-step method of biblical
study that proposes to initiate any
interested and literate lay person into the
biblical scholar’s art. Yoder illustrates the
method by applying it to four texts, four
different kinds of biblical material,
passages from Genesis, Amos, Matthew,
and Romans.

If | had to predict, | would guess that
Yoder will find a handful of motivated
readers who accept the challenge to get

hold of his method. For the majority,
however, it will be too formidable, for the
simple reason that the more thoroughly
Perry explains the method, the longer and
more complicated the book becomes.

In the process the author performs
some superb commentary, and it is this as
much as anything that will capture many
readers. Which shows once more the
crying need for good commentaries for
lay people. Just showing the fruit of
critical study may still be the best way to
entice people into it.

Marlin Jeschke is professor of philosophy
and religion at Goshen (Indiana) College. He is
the author of Discipling the Brother.

FQ price — $11.65
(Regular price — $12.95)

Sara’s Trek, Florence Schloneger.
Faith & Life Press, 1981. 106 pages. $4.95.

Reviewed by
Jillian Hershberger

Sara’s Trek is the story of a young
Russian Mennonite during WWII. It tells
of her flight from the advancing Russian
army, her separation from and eventual
reunification with her family, and her life
in MCC refugee camps before emigration
to Canada. Many of the incidents are
based on the real experiences of a friend
of the author.

Sara is a convincing character, timid
and conscientious, only dimly
understanding the forces which are
violently reshaping her world. Schloneger
has brought her own keen memories of
childhood to the experiences of her
friend, resulting in moments that are
authentic and moving.

However, the book suffers from a
weakness of literary purpose. Three
crucial years in Sara’s life are compressed
into one hundred pages; despite hunger,
homelessness, fear, and the death of her
father, the fourteen-year-old Sara_ is

essentially unchanged from the eleven-
year-old at the book’s outset. Schloneger
has not taken sufficient control of her
source material to mold it into a
meaningful statement. Sara’s “trek” does
not clearly mirror an inner journey.

This is essentially the story of an
individual. Sara’s Mennonite identity is
significant primarily as the reason for her
persecution and for the form her rescue
takes. Her occasional feelings of
belonging to “something greater than
war” are almost incidental. Children will
be able to identify with Sara, but Henry’s
Red Sea is still tops.

Jillian Hershberger is a children’s librarian
and mother of three, living in Takoma Park,
Maryland.

FQ price — $4.45
(Regular price — $4.95)

Festival Quarterly 27

When traveling through Ontario this
summer....

.. we d like to welcome you to Elmira and
St. Jacobs. Whether you are interested in
scenery or in antiques, whether you like
shopping or hiking, taking pictures or just
meeting people, there is plenty to see and to
do in the area.

And while you are there, a visit to the Stone
Crock restaurants is always “in good taste.”

_the STONE CROCK |

Restaurant & Gift Shop

Now in two locations:
King Street, St. Jacobs, Ontario NOB
2NO0
and
59 Church Street West,
Ontario N3B 1M8
Phone: (519) 664-2286

Elmira,

for people who enjoy wood

A whole line of unique home
furnishings for your kitchen, living
room, den, and bedroom. Rockers,
tables, stools, and plank bottom
chairs.

Write for brochure or

visit our showroom at

20 South Market Street

Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Phone: 717/367-4728

Specializing in solid
black walnut furniture

Harvest Drive
Farm Motel
and Restaurant

Located in the gentle rolling hills of the
peaceful Amish country on an actual farm.
Motel and restaurant owned and operated
by Mennonite folks, serving authentic home-
style cooking, family-style, dinners and
platters, seafood or steak.

You will enjoy our tasty food and scenic
dining area or banquet facilities. Located
one mile southwest of Intercourse. Take
Clearview Rd. off Rt. 340 to Harvest Dr. or
two miles north of Paradise off Rt. 30 on
Belmont Rd. to Harvest Dr.

You'll be glad you did.

3370 Harvest Dr.
Gordonville, PA 17529

Phone: 717/768-7186
For Reservations: 1-800-328-5511

28 February, March, April, 1982

farmer’s thoughts

A Word for

Subsistence Farming

by Keith Helmuth

| am not suggesting that 200
horsepower tractors and our dazzling
chemical support force will disappear
tomorrow, but | do suspect that, in the
long run, industrial agriculture will prove
to have had the character of a bubble. It
was born in a gusher of oil, a child of the
petroleum age, and will be sustainable
only so long as the black gold flows.

The agribusiness food system has a
habit. It is a petroleum junkie. The way it
stands now, without oil we don’t eat.

| am not thinking of
a meager survival. |
am thinking of golf
courses crawling
with squash
VINnGSame

Security of fuel supplies is on our minds
but security of food supplies is the real
issue.

No doubt farmers will be allotted
their needed petrol products long after
the last Indianapolis 500 race has been run
and the last strawberry has been
airfreighted from California to Boston.
Yet the time will come when the costs of
the agribusiness food system will have
outrun the benefits. The evidence is
strong for this already being the case.

What interests me is how we will feed
our families and communities after we
cease feeding our tractors and combines.
If we reflect on human society before our
industrial era we see that the food system
was largely subsistence farming with local
and regional marketplaces serving cities.

Now it is the peculiar mistake of the
half-modern mind to regard subsistence
agriculture as completely outdated. |
suggest we purge it of our medieval
associations and begin to see a revitalized
subsistence agriculture as a_ practical
strategy for getting our basic food system
unhooked from its petroleum habit.

Subsistence agriculture is simply
people of households, neighborhoods,
communities and regions growing,
raising, harvesting, marketing and storing
the basic food supplies they require. To
be sure, many of us engaged in this level
of food production use small tractors and

tillers, cars and trucks. But the challenge,
it seems to me, is in limiting their use and
shifting to human and draft animal
energy.

| am not thinking of a meager
survival. | am thinking of golf courses
crawling with squash vines; the lawns of
country estates tasseling with sweet corn;
suburban backyards brimming with chard
and kale, broccoli and beans; peas
hanging from trellises on the sides of city
houses; rhubarb, chives and comfrey
sprouting along sidewalks; watercress
and catfish in the ponds of parks; tomato
plants in big pots on front porches;
potatoes and turnips growing in borders
around graveyards; back lots planted to
fruit and nut orchards; box gardens and
bee hives on the roofs of high rises;
garages turned into hen houses and
rabbitries; swimming pools covered with
greenhouses and turned into fish farms;
goats, sheep, cattle and horses grazing the
lush grass along parkways and interstates.

| am thinking of people who turn
their creative energies and professional
competence to the design and building of
a sustainable food system; of people who,
with spiritual devotion, return to the
garden each spring and who, with a
prayer of gratitude, store the harvest for
winter nourishment; of families who once
again feel united in an important
endeavor; of neighborhoods who make
sure their surplus reaches those unable to
garden; of communities who shop first at
the local farmer’s market; of regions
which feel a distinct pride in their
agriculture and which can move quickly
to supply areas hit by a hail storm or early
killing frost.

| am thinking of a truly native
agriculture once again blossoming across
this continent; one that cares about the
health of the earth, the integrity of the
community and the strength of the
household; one that ; eeeuinan
causes the mind to
walk in beauty and
the heart to lie down

in peace.
&

Keith Helmuth has developed a small-
scale diversified farm in New Brunswick,
Canada. He writes out of “a background of
ecological and social concern.”

Courage. Beauty.

ie Asked
Questions about the
_ (AMISH and “MENNONITES

Peaphe's Place Roakiee Wad :
By Merle andPhyliaGood

No. 1

20 Most Asked Questions about
the Amish and Mennonites by
Merle and Phyllis Good.

The most common inquiries about
these people are answered with
insight and accuracy. Lots of
photos. Easy te understand. $3.50.

QuiefAhdPeaceable
“Life

By John L. Ruth

SFeapies “Place Booklet Wo, @

No. 2
A Quiet and Peaceable Life by
John L. Ruth.

A beautiful poetic selection of
photography and text, highlighting
the beauty among the austerity of
the plain way: faces, artifacts, folk
art, buildings, and fields. $3.50.

onviction.

Plain Buggies

Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren
Horse-Drawn Transportation

hy Stephen Scoit

No. 3

Plain Buggies: Amish, Menno-
nite, and Brethren Horse-
Drawn Transportation by
Stephen Scott.

A fascinating, thorough expla-
nation of why nearly 100,000
persons refuse to drive cars, for
religious reasons, who they are,
where they live, and the 90-some
variations of their vehicles. More
than 100 photos. $3.50.

People’s Place Booklets are published by Good Books, Intercourse, PA 17534.

No. 4
Quilts Among the Plain People
by Rachel T. Pellman and Joanne
Ranck.

Why this splash of beauty? What
are the favorite designs? How has
quilting become a part of the very
fabric of Amish and Mennonite life?
Whare are basic how-to’s of quilt-
making? $3.50.

Gooa Books

Festival Quarterly 29

“The end
of all
things.”

Start looking now for your vision of “THE END OF ALL
THINGS”! We invite imagination. We weicome
humor. We wouldn't object to profundity.

Winners will be featured in the August, September,
October, 1982 Festival Quarterly.

Entries must be black and white, include the name,
address, and phone number of photographer, type
of film and camera used, photo title, and a self-
addressed envelope with adequate postage for
teturn. Cash prizes will be awarded to winners.
Submissions must be made by May 4, 1982 to

Festival Quarterly Photo Contest, 2497 Lincoin .

Highway East, Lancaster, PA 47602.

WHEN VISITING HISTORIC LANCASTER
COUNTY .. . enjoy breakfast in our Pantry,
and lunch and dinner at one of the many
famous nearby restaurants. Tours leave twice
daily .. . and you'll return to your
immaculately clean room, even overlooking the
Mill Stream if you request. Five miles east of
Lancaster on Rt. 896, between 30 and 340.
For reservations, write or call 717/299-0931.

peak
NA
AS
MILL STREAM
MOTOR LODGE

SMOKETOWN, PENNSYLVANIA 17576

Pipe Organs

for Churches and Chapels
with tracker action in simple
and reliable construction.

Brunzema Organs Inc.

596 Glengarry Crescent South
Post Office Box 219

Fergus, Ontario Canada

NIM 2W8

(519) 843-5450

family creations |

Summer Schedules

Anyone?

Some of my most unpleasant
childhood memories center around “‘rest
hour’’—that siesta time after lunch when
perfectly awake, active, energetic
children had to accomplish the
impossible feat of lying still for 60 minutes.

I’m sure the culture and climate of
Ethiopia reinforced this practice of my
childhood, but now as | face a summer
with children | fully understand why the
adults in my life insisted on rest hour. The
hour, of course, was much more for their
benefit than ours!

While at boarding school we devised
endless pantomimes to wile away the time
within the letter of the law—‘“‘no talking
and head on the pillow.” All down the
row of bunks we timed breath-holding
contests or produced finger plays and
teddy bear dances from bunk to bunk or
bunk to ceiling, betrayed only by
squeaking springs or telltale giggles.

On Saturdays, however, we were
permitted the delightful luxury of reading
during rest hour. Then the teddy bears got
their rest.

On _ one occasion when | was caught
in the unpermissible sitting position, Mrs.
H. lamented, “Girls, girls, why can’t you
ever learn self-discipline? Why must |
continually be checking on you,
disciplining you? You know our rule
about no talking and everyone lying flat
during rest hour.” Sigh. “All of you who
were either talking, and that includes
whispering, or sitting up, get out and
kneel beside your beds. I’m going for my
strap.”

Many in the dorm slid sheepishly to
their knees—awaiting the coming doom
in that most reverent position.

Suddenly | had an idea, “Hey, when
she comes in let’s all start smacking
ourselves to show her our self-discipline.”

She entered and we all complied—
smack, smack, smack—heads buried in
blankets, hands applied to posteriors.

| looked up sweetly and said as
contritely as possible, “Mrs. H., we’re
trying to obey you and use self-
discipline.”

She actually laughed and told us to
get back in bed for the remainder of rest

by Jewel Showalter

horrors—rest hour! And consequently,
what was known as the Summer Schedule
emerged.

Printed with brown magic marker on
bright yellow construction paper and
posted prominently on the refrigerator
door, this schedule helped order our
days.

“So let our ordered lives confess the
beauty of thy peace.”

8:30 —

Family devotions and breakfast
93loa8 12 00'—

JOBS — Report for duty

Lists prepared by Mom and Dad

If finished before 11:00 check in for
more!

Practice piano.

No neighbor children allowed on the
premises until jobs are done.

(Eager faces peered in the window.
Voices urged, “Hurry up Chad.”
“When are you gonna be done,
Matt?”’)

11:00-12:00 —
Free time

12:00-1:00 —
Lunch and clean up

1:00-2:00 —
REST HOUR — books and quiet crafts
permitted if done individually. No
talking allowed. No help from parents
given.

2:00-5:00 —
Free/work time depending on garden
needs, ball practice, trips to lake for
swimming, etc.

Of course the schedule was
constantly being revised and adapted, but
the skeleton structure produced
enormous improvement in morale and
motivation. It was just what we needed to
fill the “crazy, hazy,
lazy” days of sum-
mer with at least a
hint of reason,
rhyme and result.

hour without further discipline.

But now as time will have it, the
abused becomes the abuser, the student
the teacher, the child the parent.

Last summer after a few days of
sleeping-in and unstructured time | was
convinced that for the survival of all
involved I’d have to institute—horror of

“The finest selection of
Amish and Mennonite
quilts anywhere.”

Jewel Showalter and her family are
resettling near Nairobi, Kenya, to work with
African churches.

wee
ATs made to order.
Mo (vist Send $1.00 for catalog.

30 February, March, April, 1982

trends in music

Hymn Festival Becomes A Tradition

text and photos by Jim Bishop

The Sunday before Thanksgiving has become a special
time for many churches in the Virginia Conference of the
Mennonite Church. That’s when participating congregations
across the state converge in the Eastern Mennonite College
chapel-auditorium for the Shenandoah Valley Hymn Festival.

The name implies the purpose: an occasion to celebrate
and perpetuate the Mennonite Church’s tradition of singing
its Christian faith.

The Festival evolved from a class project that Roy D.
Roth did while enrolled at Westminster Choir College the
summer of 1973. The first program, sponsored by EMC’s
music department on November 18 that year, featured
singing from the Mennonite Hymnal and the Harmonia Sacra,
special music by area church groups, plus hymns sung by a
mass choir of nearly 200 persons from 20 congregations
throughout Virginia Conference. Since 1976, the conference
Board of Congregational Ministries has sponsored the
Festival.

Roth, who teaches church music courses and directs the
chorus at Eastern Mennonite Seminary and is minister of
music at Harrisonburg Mennonite Church, is a prime mover
of each year’s program. Yet he prefers to stay behind the
scenes, modestly crediting the ad-hoc planning committee he
works with each year—as well as Festival participants
themselves—for coordinating the event.

“lam concerned that congregations promote good hymn
singing, and the Festival allows persons to experience it in a
setting of a thousand or more voices uniting in worship and
praise,” he says.

Roth fears that Mennonites “are taking their four-part, a
capella style hymn singing for granted,” and he hopes the
Festivals can in some small way “help to remind us of our
distinctive musical heritage.”

No two programs are alike. Several have stressed
congregational singing from the Mennonite Hymnal. Less
familiar selections are introduced and variations on hymn
tunes presented—some with instrumental accompaniment—
to illustrate ways of enriching worship. Always there is a mass
choir that interprets hymns and joins with the audience in
lifting musical offerings to God.

The 1978 Festival emphasized hymns for children and
included a children’s chorus. The next year an
intergenerational chorus gave the premiere performance of a
specially commissioned cantata, “Children, Saints and
Charming Sounds,” written by Alice Parker of New York City.

The 1980 program spotlighted the new Sing and Rejoice!
songbook. Its compiler, Orlando Schmidt of Elkhart, Indiana,
was present to lead selections, aided by soloists, ensembles
and choral groups.

The Festival’s main funding source is offerings taken
during the programs. Roth notes that expenses usually
exceed income, casting a shadow of uncertainty on the
future of the event.

“It’s been rewarding to be involved with these Festivals
over the years, and | certainly hope they continue,” Roth
says, adding with a quiet smile, “But | wouldn’t mind seeing
someone else plan this fall’s program.”

The theme of the ninth annual Shenandoah Valley Hymn
Festival, attended by some 800 people, centered around events of the
church calendar—Ascension Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and
others.

Festival Quarterly 31

| best-selling books: in review _

Gorky Park, Martin Cruz Smith. Random
House, 1981. 365 pages. $13.95.

Certainly a stripe or two above the
average suspense story, Gorky Park
succeeds best at washing the reader with a
sense of Russia. One feels one knows
what it’s like to live in modern Moscow.
Whether or not the author portrays it truly
remains for anyone to guess.

Three frozen, mutilated bodies are
found beneath the snow in Gorky Park in
the middle of Moscow. It is not only an
unusual crime; the grotesqueness of the
affair points to a daring perpetrator.

Arkady Renko, the Chief Homicide
Investigator, sets out to solve the murders.
He becomes a likeable character, not
overly clever or brilliant nor totally cynical
either. The people in his life are partial
human beings; their relationships seem
clinical. The reader ends up with a feeling
of observing them through a one-way
mirror rather than one of being in the
room with them.

Yet the strange unfolding of the tale,
the new sights and sounds, and an
atmosphere of telling, not unlike the
dissonance of some modern music, lures

Martin Cruz Smith

Bob Adelman

one along through this intricate book.
One participates in astate of empathy one
step removed from warm and a state of
suspense one step removed from
thrilling. In the end, one remains most
stimulated by the atmosphere of the story.
A writer could do worse.

The KGB injects itself into the crime
from the very beginning. Arkady puzzles
over their breathing down his neck, yet
when he tries to hand the case over to
them, they pull back. Apparently the case
has political overtones, but it’s somehow
too hot for them to handle.

Two Americans, one a_ wealthy
businessman and the other a New York
cop, become intertwined with the
Moscow murders. Arkady pushes forward
because he has no other choice, encircled
as he is with a sense of eventual failure,
but intelligent enough to want to know
the truth.

Gorky Park fills several enjoyable
evenings with snow, KGB, and fur caps.
Then it’s gone, leaving a trace of a feeling
in one’s mind.

THE ORIGINAL TOURMAGINATION

There’s no reason to settle for a copy. When comparing tours,
look carefully at the facts:

—TourMagination has had twelve years of experience.

—TourMagination’s prices include all meals, tea and cof-
fee, lodging, entrance fees, all transportation, in-
surance, and even tips.

—TourMagination can give you personal attention with at
least two leaders on every tour.

—TourMagination’s leaders are carefully selected so
every day will be educational and enjoyable.

—TourMagination will help you absorb a new culture by
providing authentic local food, traveling on back roads,
meeting the people.

—TourMagination develops a Christian community spirit.
Each individual or couple receives a diary following the
tour which records the group experience.

—TourMagination will give you your money’s worth and
more.

TOUR:

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1982 Ey TOURS

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In preparation

May 3-24

May 24—-June 5
Aug. 2-17 TM 82A Europe
Aug. 6-28 TM Western Canada
Dec 27-Jan 14 ’83 TM South America

TM/Out-Spokin’
TM Israel

22 Days
13 Days
16 Days
23 Days
19 Days

32 February, March, April, 1982

quarterly film ratings

Buddy, Buddy — A silly, shallow bit about
a hired gun (Walter Matthau) and a
man constantly threatening suicide
(Jack Lemmon) who end up in hotel
rooms next to each other. Disappoint-
ing. (3)

Cannery Row — A stylish adaptation of
John Steinbeck’s vision and
romanticization of the down-and-out
losers in California. Stars Nick Nolte.
(6)

Evil Under the Sun — Forget it. Contrived,
slow, and uninteresting. Based on
Agathe Christie whodunit on an
elegant island. (1)

Ghost Story — A stylish horror film about
four old men and a secret they share
which comes back to haunt them. Stars
John Houseman, Melvyn Douglas, and
Fred Astaire. (6)

Night Crossing — Rather interesting as
Disney films go. Based on the true story
of two families who try to escape from
East Germany in a homemade balloon.
(5)

Pennies from Heaven — Steve Martin
spreads his wings in a brave attempt to
do a different kind of musical. The
story of a salesman in the Depression is
intercut with the wistful musicals of the
period. Sorta flops. (3)

Private Lessons — A rather sordid yarn
about a man and a woman posing as a
maid and a driver who try to blackmail
the teenager of a wealthy family by
sexual lure. (2)

Ragtime — An impressionistic, masterful
cinematic eyeful, set in turn-of-the-
century America. A black man takes
revenge against a callous, indecent
white race. Very involving. It will
follow you. (8)

The Best of 1981

Chariots of Fire

Atlantic City

Heartland

Reds

Ragtime

On Golden Pond
Gallipoli

Absence of Malice
Southern Comfort
Raiders of the Lost Ark
French Lieutenant’s Woman
Raggedy Man

Whose Life Is It, Anyway?

The Seduction — Plastic and awful. A tele-
vision anchorwoman is pursued by a
psychotic photographer. Embarrass-
ingly self-conscious. (1)

Shoot the Moon — A powerful if
somewhat melodramatic story of a
marriage falling apart and the pain that
follows. Superb acting by Albert
Finney and Diane Keaton. (7)

Taps — Beginning woodenly, but improv-
ing as it goes, this film unspools the
rather implausible tale of a group of
military-academy students who
forcibly take over their school. Tim
Hutton is good as the lead. (5)

Venom — Not half so scary as the ads pre-
tend. A dangerous snake is loose in the
midst of some terrorists. Some fine
acting, though. (5)

Whose Life Is It, Anyway? — A superb,
highly-involving film about a sculptor
who becomes paralyzed and decides
he wants to die. Richard Dreyfuss is
brilliant as the bright, angry, cynical
victim. Is the story too slanted? (8)

Films are rated from an adult FQ perspective on
a scale from 1 through 9, based on their
sensitivity, integrity, and technique.

enjoyment.

A quiet, relaxing atmo-
sphere for your group’s re-
treats. Each of our motel
rooms offer DD phones,
color TV, and Inn Room cof-
fee. Acres of lawn, play-
ground, tennis and volleyball
courts, game room, and indoor pool are all for your

Our restaurant specializes in good “home cooking”’
including daily local specialties. Banquet and meeting
rooms are available for up to 275 persons.

Hird-In- Hand
Motor Jun-Kestavrant

Located 7 miles east of Lancaster on Route 340. Phone (717) 768-8271

| want to subscribe to
Festival Quarterly for: |
4 yr. $7.75 in the US.
(all other countries—$8.95 U.S. Funds) |
DO 2 yrs. $14.80 in the U.S.

(all other countries—$15.80 U.S. Funds) |
O 3 yrs. $20.90 in the U.S.

(all other countries—$21.90 U.S. Funds)

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Mail this coupon with your check to:
Festival Quarterly
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Festival Quarterly 33

Ue

to educate / to challenge / to live by

Suspense story
for young people:

SARAS TREK

The book is full of excitement. The underly-
ing theme is the faithfulness of God.

Sara is ten. She and a friend are separated
from their Mennonite families as they flee from
Russia to Germany during World War I1.

The girls experience hunger, cold and bomb-
ing raids before they are united with their par-
ents. Together again, the families are in constant
fear of the Russians, near starvation, and Sara
faces ridicule at school because she is ‘‘different”’
—a refugee.

Life gets better for Sara and her family when
a care organization arrives with food and estab-
lishes camps.

The story moves along quickly and makes en-
joyable reading for youth and adults.

BASED ON FACT...

Mennonite history comes
alive in these pages.

by Florence Schloneger

ISBN 0-87303-071-0

Paperback
108 pages...

$4.95 (U.S.)

Faith and Life Press

Box 347, Newton, KS 67114 oe

34 February, March, April, 1982

reclassified

“Business Is
Business” by Katie Funk Wiebe

A young woman wanted to join an inter-Mennonite
church and requested baptism by immersion in the river. A
four-year-old boy watched these new proceedings with
interest. The water was somewhat turbulent, and the woman
and the minister maintained their footing with difficulty.

The next week, the woman called at the home of the boy’s
family. “You know who | am, don’t you?” she asked the boy,
who had drawn back. “Yeah,” he said, ‘“‘you’re the lady who
went swimming with the minister on Sunday.”

Friesen: What’s the matter with your wife? She looks all
broken up.

Yoder: She’s had a terrible shock.

Friesen: How come?

Yoder: She was helping at the MCC Thrift Store and took
off her new $35 sweater, and someone sold it for fifty cents.

Frederick the Great occasionally stayed with local people
on his maneuvers in the Dutch Netherlands in the 1700s. Once
his host, a Mennonite, would not accept payment because of
his wealth. Frederick asked him, ‘‘Are you rich?” “Yes, Your
Majesty.” “How did you become wealthy?” “By always paying
a penny more than the market price for everything and by
selling everything for a penny less than the market price.”
Unamused, the king wanted a better explanation. The man
continued, “‘That’s the truth. When the grain was inexpensive, |
always paid a penny more per bushel and then stored it in my
granary; when the price rose, | sold it for a penny below the
current price.” His simple life made it possible for him to be
satisfied with half the profit required by others.

—P.M. Friesen, Mennonite Brotherhood in Russia

The visiting rabbi offered a dollar to the child at the school
assembly who could tell him the name of the greatest man in
the history of religion.

“The Pope,” said the Italian boy.

“Billy Graham,” answered the American evangelical.

“Jerry Falwell,” said the Baptist.

“Abraham,” said little Menno.

“The dollar is yours,” said the rabbi, “but why did you say
Abraham?”

“Deep down in my heart,
| knew it was Menno Simons,”
replied the boy,“but business is business.”

&

Katie Funk Wiebe is a writer of many books and columns, and an
English teacher at Tabor College.

The editors invite you to submit humorous stories and anecdotes
that you've experienced or heard. We are not interested in stock jokes —
we want human interest stories with a humorous Mennonite twist. Keep
your submission to no more than 100 words and send them to Katie Funk
Wiebe, Tabor College, Hillsboro, KS 67063. She will give credit to
anecdotes she selects.

comment

Housewives

by Sondra Gotlieb

Each quarter Festival Quarterly features
speeches or essays from the larger
world which because of their subject,
unusual sensitivity, or wisdom are of
interest to our readers.

Loyal wives, whether they are
married to politicians, diplomats or coal
miners, have become the lepers of our
society. The women’s movement and
glossy fashion magazines accuse loyal
wives of living vicariously and of not
conforming to the “correct” image of
the new “Dream Woman.” Yet Dream
Woman is no more than an invention of
the advertising types of Madison
Avenue, pandering to the fantasies of
naive feminists. What’s wrong with
cleaning your husband’s bathtub? Coal
miners’ wives do it as a matter of habit.
Or of scheming and plotting to help
your husband’s career? Loving political
wives have no qualms about it. By
contrast, that repellent creature, the
Virginia Slims ‘““You’ve come a long way,
baby” woman, has abandoned her
mops, cleansers and brutish husband,
and is now the president of a mining
and smelting company. She might clean
the bathtub of her coal miner lover as
an erotic exercise, once, but she knows
that sexual titillation would utterly
vanish if removing his coal grime were
to become her daily chore. At one time
she might have been called selfish, but
not today.

Women who appear to subordinate
their personal fulfillment because they
have no careers are made to feel half
human by the propaganda of the
women’s liberation movement and the
media. Yet the support and stability
they offer their families cannot be
understated. A friend of mine, whose
husband is one of the most successful
men in his field, is alarmed at the
inevitable cocktail party question: “And
what do you do?” “I’m so and so’s
wife,’ she responds, as her companion
quickly turns away. “If only | could say
that I’m a truss manufacturer,” she
complains, “then I’d be fascinating to
talk to.”” Nancy Reagan is criticized by
the media because she’s ambitious for
her husband and likes pretty clothes.
Ironically, though, we never criticize a
well-dressed career woman who
determinedly furthers her own
ambition. Pushy wives and mothers are
out. Assertive working women in Faye
Dunaway crepe-de-chine blouses are in.

These days the assertive working

Are People, Too!

woman is not only the role model of
feminist magazines like Ms. and glossies
like Cosmopolitan, but, distressingly,
she has become the sweetheart of such
Canadian homemaker’s institutions as

What’s wrong with

cleaning your
husband’s bathtub?

Chatelaine. Whereas Chatelaine used to
dedicate its editorial to “Perfect
Domestic Bliss’”” — remember that wife
with seven children who canned
chickens the same day she cheerfully
entertained her husband’s boss at
dinner — the magazine nowadays has
banished this domestic wizard from its
pages. A single issue (October, 1981)
features three articles about
Chatelaine’s new ideal woman — The
Mover and Shaker — and her career-
minded sisters. She’s a woman doctor
interested in varicose veins; her sisters
are “women in pharmacy” and “bright
new women artists.”” How can
Chatelaine’s editors ignore that about
50 percent of Canadian women are still
homemakers? At that, it is my
understanding that a good portion of
the women who claim to be wage
earners work for as little as six weeks a
year. In a 1980 U.S. Gallup poll, three
women in four indicated that marriage
and children were still essential
ingredients of the ideal life. Why are
their interests and concerns not
reflected in our media?

Don’t misunderstand me — ! am
not against equal rights for women. If a
woman wants to become a high flyer in
the corporate world or bottom drill in a
coal mine, she should have the same
opportunity as a man. But | can’t
understand why feminists worship the
20th-century work world of men. Daily
work from nine till late becomes a
treadmill. And from my experience,
most businessmen, public servants,
politicians and truss manufacturers
think and talk exclusively about their
own narrow concerns. Their conver-
sation consists of “my latest deal,” “my
new promotion,” “my importance to
the voters’ and ‘“‘why my trusses are
better than the competition’s.”’ It’s all
narcissim and fatuous egotism. I’d
rather talk to their wives, who know

how to listen and who are capable of
laughing at themselves.

| consider myself an “appendage”
wife. | married at 18 with no thought of
becoming anything but a wife and
mother. While raising my three
children, it never occurred to me that |
was an inferior species of female
because | didn’t have a paying job. |
was lucky. Dream Woman had not yet
been invented to make me feel guilty
and diminished. My husband did not
clean out bathtubs, or even enter the
kitchen — the sight of raw chicken legs
lying on the counter makes him feel
queasy — yet this was never a
contentious issue in our marriage.
After my youngest child was at school
full time, | found that | had time to take
up writing. But | always planned my
work around my husband’s hectic
schedule, for too much emphasis on my
“freedom” might threaten something
enduring in our lives — the fact that
marriage and family come first.

During those years | discovered
that women whose sense of self-value
did not feel threatened because they
had chosen to stay at home are natural
givers. They have time to give to their
families, their friends, and they can take
on a multitude of worthwhile volunteer
activities. | can’t help but feel that if
every woman had a full-time paying
job, both women as individuals and
society in general would be
shortchanged. Whether it be helping in
the hospitals, raising money for the arts
or medical research, or even reading a
book or giving a party — all are
activities that contribute to a civilized
society. As Barbara Grizzuti Harrison
wrote in the October issue of Harper’s,
“If the real work of the world is that
which extends into the future, that
which is not ephemeral, and that which
sustains life, we are talking about
poetry and bread and babies.” Caring
for a family is not ephemeral, but
lasting work. Women who deliberately
stay at home for reasons of the heart
are certainly as liberated as the movers
and shakers. It’s time they stopped
feeling debased by the media or the
ideologues of the women’s movement.

Sondra Gotlieb is an author and the wife of
Canada’s new ambassador to Washington.
“Housewives are People Too!”’ first appeared
in Macleans February 1, 1982 issue.
Reprinted by permission of the author.

Festival Quarterly 35

Send form 3579 to: Festival Quarterly

2497 Lincoln Highway East
Lancaster, PA 17602
Postmaster, Address Correction Requested

Can you match these faces with
some of FO's regular writers?

CCX S ao

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Look for the revelation of the above writers identities in the next issue of FQ.

David Augsburger was the baby appearing on the back cover of the last issue.

2

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by Robert Kreider

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“Perils of Pro

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“The Times of Our
Winifred Beechy

Lives” by Atlee and
Your Fellow
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May, June, July, 1982

What Place Does Mus

MENNONITE

Play

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MAE

ART

“Dis-Quest

q

and @ culture of Mennon

Sunday Sabb

exploring the art, faith,

eae Ms a KN sea onto ot NNT |

festaval quarterly

Pde

(with a ribbon)

Give FO to your
Graduates — It's a
link to their past and
a vision for their
future.

ca
LEAVE THE DRIVING TO WILLI

Have you wanted to visit the great European
cities: Amsterdam, Koln, Brussels, Zurich,
Berne, Heidelberg, Strasbourg?

Would you also want to travel on the back
roads to Pingjum, Griiningen, Wappenswil,
Trachselwald, Haslibach, all places with
unusual Anabaptist significance?

Are you interested in some fun things like a
cruise on the romantic Rhine, a cog-train ride
to the top of the Rigi Kulm, an authentic
Swiss fondue supper?

Can you appreciate the value of a stop in
Mennonite communities such as the
Weierhof (Germany), Mont des Oiseaux
(France), and Berlikum (Holland)?

Join TourMagination 82A to Europe, August 2-
17, and leave all the driving to Willi Schweikard,
who owns the modern MAN bus. If Willi can’t go,
he will send Rolf, or Hans-Jirgen. There are no
better drivers in Europe. You just enjoy the
trip! Price—U.S. $1950

1210 Loucks Avenue
Other TourMagination tours: a 4=6SCOTTDALE, PA 15683

TM Western Canada 82—August 6-28, 1982. 225 Forsyth Drive
TM South America 83—February 10-28, 1983. WATERLOO, ONT N2L 1A4

MAGINATION

table of contents

A Holy Reminder

| was in no mood to socialize, be
friendly, do research for FQ, or answer
questions about what brought us to
London when Merle made his suggestion.
“Let’s see if the Mennonite Centre has
church tomorrow.”

It was late Saturday afternoon. Jet lag
was playing its funny game. We needed to
debrief our first meeting with the
screenwriter. We were to see a play that
evening, not by ourselves, but again in the
company of the film producer and her
pricey English cousin. My body and spirit
needed some collecting.

But remembering how I’ve scroung-
ed for news of Mennonites elsewhere in
the world | dragged out the phone book.
“Come ahead,” said Alan Kreider. ‘““And
stay for lunch. We’ll water the soup.”

| recognized tne spirit. And we
weren't disappointed. Never have | been
SO wrapped in music — violin, guitar,
piano, and recorder washed over each
other and us. It was an hour of
reclamation for me. it reinforced that
chorus, “Remember who you are!” that
went with me many teen-aged Saturday
nights. It was a surprise of Grace. | was at
home. | belonged.

Later that day we waded through
more film negotiations; we sampled
Filipino hors d’oeuvres; we smalltalked in
a home decorated with original Picassos.
None of which touched my soul like the
worship we had joined in a cramped,
living room-turned-chapel on Shepherds
Hill. That gathering had been a holy
reminder. =-PRG

Mother’s Day and

Nuclear War

| live with the realization that my
daughters carry a potential time bomb
inside themselves. When they become
teenagers, just completing school, full of
promise and energy, leukemia might
strike.

You see, we’re survivors of Three
Mile Island. Kate was two and Rebecca
snuggled in the womb on March 29, 1979.

Yesterday was Mother’s Day. The day
here in Lancaster County was incredibly
beautiful. Kate’s wearing chicken pox,
Rebecca’s hatching. As Phyllis and | left
for church, entrusting the two cuties to
the care of Great-Aunt Anna, we gota call
announcing the birth of a new niece,
Amy. It was a happy Mother’s Day, in spite
of chicken pox. The Garden of Eden
couldn’t have topped it.

Then the radio reminded me that
Billy Graham was in that church in
Moscow which Mennonites like to visit,
preaching against nuclear war. The
Falklands were being bombed. And Israeli
planes had strafed southern Lebanon.

How can one be a happy parent in
such a world?

| confess | get so tired of hearing
about “the dangers of nuclear war,” |
might just vomit the next time | hear the
phrase. Add to that ‘“‘peace and justice.”

Yet | think | really care. It’s just that
the tulips, the dogwoods, the children’s
eyes and the family handshakes so
refreshed me yesterday. And the news of
a new niece.

Can’t my soul ever be restored? Must
my joy always be so qualified? Shall we
offer our children a childhood of fear and
worry?

Not that | don’t admire what Billy
Graham and Don Kraybill are doing, even
though | can’t figure out what to do
myself.

Yesterday | just wanted to look at the
flowers and the children, chicken pox and
all. Forget the leukemia that Three Mile
Island may have planted inside their
young bodies. Forget the jets and the
bombs and the marches. A nest. Warm
sun and spring fragrances. And a refuge
from the storm. We can’t worry every day.

Of course, today’s another day...

—MG

i>)

10

12

14

16

Editorials
Letters
Communication
By-line

It’s Augs- j
burger’s hunch
that giving to
beggars is
wrong.
Farmer’s
Thoughts
Second Sight

Two fish
stories provide
counsel for
José Ortiz as he
thinks about a
new career.
Sunday
Sabbatical

Robert Kreider
draws some -
interesting par- 2 —
allels between
Sunday morn- pase 19
ing television and Sunday mornings
in Lancaster Conference Mennonite
churches.
The Artist as a Social Critic

Gleysteen presents those inspired
pieces of art that go beyond a
cause to capture the spirit of being
human.
Perils of Professionalism

Our people have entered the
professions. That step has brought
tension to marriages, families, and
congregations; it has caused
dilemmas for a people who
traditionally perceived themselves
as servants but find themselves with
personal power.
The Times of Our Lives

Winifred and Atlee Beechy
reflect on what kept them close to
the church.
Dis-Quest

What role does music play in our
congregational life? How vital is it?
Reflections from France, India, and
California.
Creatively Aging
Worldwide News
American Abroad

Elisabeth Anne Neff Krabill’s
parents receive African advice upon
her arrival.
International Quiz
Publishing Notes
Mennonite Books: In Review
FQ’s Quarter-Order
Eyeful
Borders
Family Creations
Best-Selling Books: In Review
Quarterly Film Ratings
Reclassified
Comment

Beware of retirement!

Festival Quarterly 3

4

A quiet, relaxing atmo-
sphere for your group’s re-
treats. Each of our motel
rooms offer DD phones,
color TV, and Inn Room cof-
fee. Acres of lawn, play-
ground, tennis and volleyball

courts, game room, and indoor pool are all for your

enjoyment.

Our restaurant specializes in good ‘home cooking’”’
including daily local specialties. Banquet and meeting
rooms are available for up to 275 persons.

Bird-In- Hand
Motor Jnu-Kestavrant

Located 7 miles east of Lancaster on Route 340. Phone (717) 768-8271

Mennonite

Way
DIRECTORY Ill

a hospitality travel directory
for the years 1981, 1982, 1983

NOW AVAILABLE

Featuring:

105 International, 2100 N.A. hosts * What to
see in 25 communities e Special on Ger-
mantown plus map e 10 day worship guide e
Centerfold map of important places ¢ Hosting
guidelines ¢ 46 countries, 45 states,
provinces.

single copy
2 copies $10.00*
3-11 copies each$ 4.50*
12 or more - wholesale list available

$ 6.00*

“U.S. funds only, price includes postage (4th
class) to one address

copies at $
total due
6% tax- PAresidents
TOTAL ENCLOSED
NAME

Address

Mail to: Mennonite Your Way
Box 1525, Salunga, PA 17538

May, June, July, 1982

Experience the history of St.
Jacobs by visiting The
Meetingplace .. . a unique
tourist information centre
utilizing a well-documented
multi-media presentation that
presents an accurate account
of Mennonite history and
lifestyle. Bus groups welcome.

the meetingplace

tourist information centre

May - Oct.

Mon. - Friday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m.-7: 30 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m.-6 p.m.

reduced hours until May

33 King Street, St. Jacobs
664-3518

Festival
Quarterly

The Festival Quarterly (USPS 406-090) is
published quarterly by Good Enterprises, Ltd.,
at 2497 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, PA
17602. The Quarterly is dedicated to exploring
the culture, faith, and arts of the various
Mennonite groups worldwide, believing that
faith and art are as inseparable as what we
believe is inseparable from how we live.

Copyright © 1982 by Good Enterprises, Ltd.
Vol. 9, No. 2. All correspondence should be
addressed to Festival Quarterly, 2497 Lincoln
Highway East, Lancaster, PA 17602. Second-
class postage paid at Lancaster, PA. For U.S.
readers: one year — $7.75; two years — $14.80;
three years — $20.90. All other countries: one
year — $8.95 (U.S. funds); two years — $15.80
(U.S. funds); three years — $21.90 (U.S. funds).

Editor — Phyllis Pellman Good
Publisher and Associate Editor — Merle Good

Design Director — Craig Heisey
Staff Writer — Rachel Stahl
Circulation Manager — Miriam Buckwalter

Contributing Editors — David W. Augsburger,
Hubert L. Brown, Kenton K. Brubaker, Peter
J. Dyck, Sanford Eash, Jan Gleysteen, Keith
Helmuth, James R. Krabill, Jeanette E.
Krabill, Paul N. Kraybill, David Kroeker,
Alice W. Lapp, John A. Lapp, Wilfred
Martens, Mary K. Oyer, Robert Regier, Jewel
Showalter, Carol Ann Weaver, Katie Funk
Wiebe.

Reporters — Rebekah Basinger, Jim Bishop,
Will Braun, Ferne Burkhardt, Karen Glick-
Colquitt, Donna Detweiler, George Dirks,
Gwen Doerksen, Ernest Epp, Ivan Friesen,
Paul Hostetler, Jon Kauffman-Kennel,
Lawrence Klippenstein, Don Krause, Glen
Linscheid, Randy MacDonald, Loyal Martin,
Arnie Neufeld, Myrna Park, Karen Rich
Ruth, Dorothy Snider, Stuart Showalter,
Peter Wiebe, Shirley Yoder.

Phyllis Pellman Good, Merle Good

On the Cover — Robert Kreider with his
back to television and his face to the
church reflects on his Sunday Sabbatical.
Photo by FQ/Kenneth Pellman.

A suggestion: Occasionally, FQ might
Open a corner for: (a) job openings for
Mennonite young people or couples; (b)
Mennonite businesses changing owners; (c)
farms to rent or sell; (d) young people
advertising their skills, so needy communities
can contact them if any openings are in our
local communities. Young people need jobs
and places to make their homes.

Mrs. Roy Nafziger
Harper, Kansas

| feel very much at home with you despite
the fact that | do not know you personally. |
have taken you into my heart and fellowship
over the several years of Festival Quarterly
from the beginning when we were recipients
of a free Quarterly for a year. | haven't
forgotten this, neither have | forgotten the
efforts that are entailed in publishing and
selling a paper, much more one like yours of a
religious nature, and one that speaks out
against as well as for your Mennonite breinren.

I’ve been intrigued with the “new face of
Mennonite life,” and at the same time
immediately remember the many faces, the
various factions of Mennonite life and
doctrine.

In the community where | grew up near
Stayner, Ontario, there were two Brethren in
Christ (B.I.C.) and Mennonite churches side by
side. The Mennonites were more progressive
and had Sunday School while the B.I.C. had
none at that church. Some of our elder ladies
taught in the Mennonite Sunday School, but
we never attended. But they also had revival
meetings!! And of all things a lady evangelist
whose husband accompanied her. In order to
satisfy our desire to “go out for achange” one
Sunday afternoon, we young folk gathered up
a reinforcement from our neighbors for
company and walked 3 miles to attend this
meeting to hear the lady evangelist preach. We

walked home 3 miles, did the farm chores and
had lunch, and with enthusiasm running high
added a few more to the group (for nite time
protection) and did another 6 milestint, allona
Sunday afternoon and evening!!

So with this kind of association, and many
of our church fellows and girls falling in love
and marrying Mennonites, | have had “‘a next
to” relationship in my early years.

| have no _ criticism. |! have much
appreciation for such a magazine as this.

Mrs. Elsie Sider
Wainfleet, Ontario

My husband and | thank you for your
permission to reprint “Things That Life is Too
Short For’ by Doris Longacre. We have
included this in our monthly newsletter which
will be mailed this Friday.

Her husband gave us permission, and sent
me a copy of the sermon to read. | was moved
and impressed with it. How very beautiful, that
the words of a person we have never met can
speak, and shed such light upon our path!

We thoroughly enjoy our subscription to
Festival Quarterly. Thank you for the excellent
work that you do. And thank you for sharing
what | believe will be very meaningful to the
members of this congregation.

Janet R. Parthemore
First Church of God
Middletown, Pennsylvania

We thoroughly enjoy all the articles. The
variety of subjects covered are interesting,
educational and written simply enough for all
to understand. We are grateful for your efforts,
and wish to express our sincere thanks and wish
you God’s blessings.

Stewart M. Moyer
874 Main St.
Harleysville, Pennsylvania

“Smoking or nonsmoking?”

© Punch/Rothco

How to Apply
To Receive FQ — Free

» March, ep

| Festival. quarter! y

people

| Also in this issue —
i} «6 Trying a Kenyan Sol Ay n toa Ker we eee
} © Who are the Umsiedler? — A pho’

* Reviews of 10 Menn orl 6 Book:

* Red Dirt, by Pam Heap of Birds

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Qualified persons will receive a
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It is suggested that the applicant be
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Festival Quarterly

communication by line |

D lalogue with a Beggar by David W. Augsburger

“Baksheesh, Sahib,” the woman says,
holding up the baby for me to see its wide
black eyes in the dim Calcutta street light.
She reaches with a cupped hand, then
passes it by her mouth in the universal
gesture of hunger. She follows us,
crowding against us down the block that is
her turf.

“Baksheesh.” That is not the word for
alms, or charity; it is the word for
payment, payment of an obligation, a
debt. She is collecting what is owed her in
a duty-directed society.

On the basis of conscience, because
of my own principled morality, | cannot
pay. How can | explain this to her as she
holds out an empty hand?

“No, | do not want to reward your use
of a baby to demand sympathy.” All day in
the sun, smog, and dirt of a Calcutta
street. Fifteen hours of breathing black
fumes from the giant diesel lorries. Even
though it’s only once a week (“They
borrow the babies from other mothers in
the bustee, like rent-a-baby; it only
‘works’ now and then,” an MCC worker
explained.).

“No, | do not want to support
begging as a way of life. There are

opportunities for self-help, for work with
dignity, for walking straight and tall rather
than this placating, ingratiating, imploring
hand outstretched half stoop.” (This
“work” has dignity for her in her world
view. She is fulfilling a time-honored

“No, | do not want to
reward your use of a
baby to demand sym-
pathy.”

role.)

“No, | do not believe in this
obligational system which requires the
castes above to pay the cues of their own
spiritual elevation to the nearest beggar.”
If | give her the rupees loose in my pocket,

she will feel no gratitude to me. It is only
my “karma,” my working out my duties
for my salvation. It is | who should be
grateful to her for offering me_ this
privilege of advancing another square
toward nirvana as | walk her block.

(Remember Ranchi? The beggars
went on strike. “You people are under-
paying us. We will not accept your small
offerings. We'll let you suffer for six
months without our services. That will
teach you. No good karma will come to
you until you come around to our
demands.” It worked. Six months later,
receipts doubled.)

“No, | do not care to add to today’s
take.” The average beggar may make two
to three times the wages of a worker who
puts in eight to ten hours of labor.

“No, | cannot give with a clear
principled conscience. To give in this
instance violates the values, the universal
goods, the ultimate faith commitments
that shape my life.”

It is late. The street is dark. The
sadness in the baby’s eyes is deep. And the
beggar is a woman. In this society a
woman’s lot is hard, even at best. She is my
sister too, this bent woman with baby.

farmer’s thoughts _

Sounds

When | was a boy every farmstead
had its chicken coop. We could hear the
neighbor’s roosters crowing in the
distance, a great wake-up sound. In the
early summer mornings we would see the
mother hen leading her little brood of
cheeping chicks, hunting for food,
insects, bugs and worms, the chicks often
fighting for them.

But the rooster, his crowing done for
the day, was irresponsible for the little
flock. He strolled around with his head
held high, looking over his harem. But he
made a warning sound when a hawk flew
overhead.

These are all sights and sounds we no
longer hear. Where did all the hens and
roosters go? Probably penned up in an
environmentally controlled building,
living on wire.

Then there was the three-legged
milking stool beside the cow, and the first
streams of milk hitting the bottom of the
tin pail. It was a special sound. If we
milked fast enough, the sound changed to
milk hitting thick foam as the pail filled.
Today the milking sounds have

6 May, June, July, 1982

by Sanford Eash

progressed to electric motors, sucking
pulsators, and milk gushing into a special
bucket or a pipeline.

Over in the horse barn we heard the
sound of horses munching hay or

People sounds
don't change with
time: a friendly
informal church that
has dismissed and
everybody Is visiting.

crunching ears of corn. They ate their

favorite oats with only a quiet nibble.
Today horsepower is fed by an electric
motor pumping diesel fuel into a tractor.

There was the sound of the three-

horse team going to the field, the harness
tinkling along with the heavy clump
clump of the horses. The plow slid
through the soil almost silently as it turned
it over, but the harness changed to a
squeaking stretching sound along with
the heavy footsteps of the horses. Many
years have passed since | heard these
sounds.

Studebaker wagons were built in our
neighboring city of South Bend, Indiana. |
don’t think they were made anymore
when | was a boy but there were still a lot
of them in use. They had a heavy steel tire
in a big wooden wheel that turned on a
large axle and made a certain crunch,
going over a gravel road. Even the horse-
drawn wagons didn’t sound like that.

The sounds of nature don’t change
with time. Howling winds with flying
snow so thick you can’t see over a few
hundred feet sound the same. When the
temperature drops below zero and the
winds howl, it sends chills down the back
of a livestock man, in more than one way.
The snow squeaks underfoot. The traffic
sounds of the nearby highway are muffled

Pec ee
Halfway to Tarshish

What is it Mother Teresa says? “The issue
is Compassion, not conscience, to love is
to help the person in need without asking
questions.”” One cannot live by that. It is
not a principle that is universalizable. It is
not consistent. It is not rational. And in
many circumstances, to help is not truly
helpful. Such first aid can be the worst aid.
But this is the face of human pain.
The coins fit her hand, with the
smooth movement of a long-practiced
gesture. The night lights of Calcutta
reflect in the infant’s eyes. And both are

gone.

Was it bak-
sheesh? Was it
compassion? Nei-

ther. It is sadness.

It is grief, not
guilt or relief that
lingers.

David and Nancy Augsburger recently
spent two months in Asia. David is associate
professor of pastoral care and counseling at the
Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries in
Elkhart, Indiana, and the author of many books
about communication and relationships.

by the huge snowbanks. When we were
young we used to listen to the old-timers
talk about the severe winters of the past.
Now we are the old-timers and we find
ourselves talking about the milder winters
of the past.

People sounds don’t change with
time: a friendly informai church that has
dismissed and everybody is visiting. The
sounds of children on the playground,
laughing and shouting. There was a time
when folks were annoyed by the sound of
babies crying during the worship service,
but we have accepted
this noise again. It is
the sound of a growing
young church. It is a
good sound.

Sanford Eash is a retired farmer from
Goshen, Indiana. Sanford, with the help of
his wife, Orpha, is writing regularly.
Together they also do a lot of traveling.

by José M. Ortiz

The Old Man and the Sea and the
story of Jonah in the Bible are twin books
about big fish stories. Jonah comes out of
the Hebrew tradition, while the other
comes out of the pen of Ernest
Hemingway, the American writer who
made the turtleneck respectable attire.
Both stories are well landscaped with
action, safe language and wholesome
characters as they struggle to survive in
the sea, in the deep.

By now as a Sunday School alumni, |
realize that maybe the fish that swallowed
Jonah was not so big after all, but | am
impressed by the commuting between
Nineveh and Tarshish. | am also struck
with how God harnessed the sea and the
wind, advised the tribulation and even
reserved space in the belly of the fish in

Let us resurrect
Jonah and Santiago
from their sleep.
Let Jonah speak to
us about his
commuting be-
tween Nineveh and
Tarshish and the
passages in adult
life as we deal with
Our own travel
plans without
confirmation from
above.

order to let a simple mortal like Jonah
know that he couldn’t get by God with his
own agenda. Jonah deserves credit for
trying harder, but he was overpowered
and recycled!

Santiago, is a veteran fisherman at a
port in a Cuban town. Even his assistant
left him because he was having bad luck
(“salao”) lately. But this time, he tries
again... like the many other occasions
recorded in his calloused hands and his
salty wrinkled face. Early in the evening he
feels a pull on the line. He realizes that his
bait has been discovered by the big one.
For hours the old man battles the fish, the
sea, the night. At times he pulls the fish, at
times they exchange the pulling, but the

old man will not surrender to his catch,
nor to the dark, nor the deep. After a hard
night’s fight on the way back to the port
the old man realizes that the sharks are
tearing away his trophy. With little
energies left he brings ashore the boney
skeleton as a token of his catch and his
bravado.

Let us resurrect Jonah and Santiago
from their sleep. Let Jonah speak to us
about his commuting between Nineveh
and Tarshish and the passages in adult life
as we deal with our own travel plans
without confirmation from above.
Twentieth century personscommute a lot.
We change jobs every seven or eight
years. Twenty-five percent of our
population moves every year. Voters
commute from one party to another. We
even shop around for churches to
worship or not worship at all. Yes we
commute and it can be to Tarshish.

Let us confess to Santiago that we
sacrifice our health and security to enter
into the deep and the dark for a bigger
catch, a bigger pay check, the desired
promotion, additional acreage on the
farm, and another degree. Let us confess
that we also reverse the roles. We become
captives of our very own goals. At Indiana
University campus in South Bend, non-
traditional students are labelled ‘““DAR’S”
(damned adult racers) by the younger fry.
The frontier is over, but not the slogan
that there is a bigger steak ahead.

| find myself continually facing the
question of direction. Sometimes | find
affirmation. Sometimes | want to fly out of
the “cuckoo’s nest.” | don’t find comfort
in tradition, nor in routine. Yet goals and
direction continue to be topics of major
concern for us mortals.

Financiers say that a billion dollars is
not worth what it used to be. Marriage
counsellors indicate that married life is
not fantasy island anymore. Newscasters
say that jobs have faded away, that faith
has become an expensive commodity
reserved for a few. In times like these...
watch your move, watch that big catch!!
Watch your 3;Quo vadis? your moving,
and what you are
after. It could be
beneficial to your
spiritual health!

José M. Ortiz spent the last seven years as
Associate General Secretary for Latin Concerns
in the Mennonite Church. He leaves that post
this summer for a new and unknown career.

Festival Quarterly 7

Sunday Sabbatic

We live this year in Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania—1400 miles from
our home congregation in Kansas. On
Sundays | am doing two things new for
me. | have been watching and listening
to a number of weekly TV religious
programs. These come in various
shapes, sizes and styles, but they have
common characteristics. And, each
Sunday morning | have been attending
a different Lancaster Conference
Church. These pastors and congre-
gations also vary, but they too have
common characteristics.

First, my TV diet in religious broad-
casting. | have watched and listened
frequently to a number of TV religious
personalities with weekly programs. Ten
somewhat tentative generalizations
emerge in my mind; each admittedly
has exceptions:

1. To my surprise TV religious
programming has little biblical
content. A Bible verse here, a
Bible verse there, but rarely do
you hear blocks of Scripture
explained. Some pat and caress
the Bible more than they quote it.

2. | Much of TV preaching has little or
no place for the church. We hear
affirmations of Christ’s atoning
death on the Cross and we hear
invitations to let Jesus come into
our life. On the Body of Christ,
the Church, there is mostly
silence. They give so few leads on
where to go to find kindred
souls—just that plugged in TV set,
that TV preacher, and that toll
free number.

3. Worship is spectacle. I can’t
touch, sing with, nod toward,
stand with, talk to, hold hands
with, smile at anyone. If | can
afford it, there is a tour to the
Holy Land | can join.

It is spectacle, not unlike the
Superbowl, the Oscar Awards
spectacular or a late night
celebrity talk show:

—Backdrops of tropical foliage or
glittering show business sets.
—Expensively costumed choral
ensembles going through carefully
choreographed routines, tripping
up and down glistening white
stairs, across foot bridges in floral
gardens or along sandy beaches at
sunset.

—Soloists fondling microphones,
rocking back and forth, faces
imaging a rapidly changing series
of intense emotions, bowing
demurely at the end to the
applause of the audience.

8 May, June, July, 1982

—The TV camera’s vulgar invasion
into the private response of the
audience—tears streaming down a
girl’s cheek, a hand clasped on a
Bible—and the lingering on those
few black faces to confirm that it
is an interracial gathering.

—A cosmetic look to those on
stage: lean, well-tailored,
handsome men with contact
lenses, never bald; beautiful
women—elaborately coiffured,
glittering with rings, jewelry and
paint, dressed in the latest mode.
—The gestures—especially that
extended, jabbing index finger—
suggestive of patterns of lineal
thinking.

—Sometimes TV talk show formats
with guests smiling, touching,
name-dropping, in a vision of
relaxed, folksy koinonia
camaraderie.

—In and out of the scenes, up
and down at the pulpit that genial
master of religious ceremonies,
the TV preacher.

It all seems so materialistic, so
rehearsed, so contrived, so fake,
so secular, so humanistic.

TV preachers paint a bleak picture
of the world slipping deeper and
deeper into a morass of sin.
Liberals and secular humanists are
accused of naive expectations of
human and institutional better-
ment. In a curious switch TV
religious shows seem so
consistently upbeat, self-
confident, success-oriented. One
sees in TV religious programs
shades of a secular humanism. Try
harder, raise more money, out-
smart the enemies, get more
station affiliates—a “we can win”
optimism. There is not much said
here of God’s faithful ones being
a remnant people, the meek of
the land, a pilgrim people.

There appears to be a superficial
view of the depth, power, and
pervasiveness of human depravity.
Prime targets are illness, lust,
alcohol, drugs, but the speakers
are silent on the private and
corporate sins of greed, pride,
violence, and popular idolatries.
They never speak of worship of
the state, the cultic claims of
professional sports, or the peril of
trusting in “horses and chariots.”

TV religious showmen are

entertainers in center stage,
receive adulation, and talk much

about themselves. Pride and
power, rather than humility and
servanthood, are the controlling
images.

8. An invitation to be reborn in
Christ is at the core of the Gospel.
| am struck, however, that the
evangelistic message is limited to
individual salvation and issues
such as illness, ridding oneself of
bad personal habits, backing the
American military, and giving
funds for the program. It is
salvation without a full-circle
discipleship. It is salvation without
the church. It is salvation without
the whole wheat bread of Jesus’
Lordship over all of life.

oh One hears a lot of putdown of ill-
defined enemies: liberals,
professors, do-gooders, Eastern
establishment types, pacifists,
secular humanists—a blurry group
of bad-guys—along with
abortionists, pornographers, drug
pushers, Communists, Arab
terrorists, and atheists. Granted
that most of these are a part of
the network of evil, | personally
prefer to receive the Good News

of Jesus not wrapped in a dirty
newspaper of hatred and
putdown.

10. Finally, TV religious shows come
in a made-in-the-U.S. wrapping.
So much of it is worshipping the
golden calf of U.S.—the first, the
best, the brightest, the most
benevolent. As one listens, one
often asks: ““How would this
message sound to a peasant
farmer in Guatemala? These shows
have so little to say about the
hurts of the world, so little to
share about world-wide fellowship
in Christ, world missions and
ministries. It is an American
Gospel, prideful and materialistic.

Lest | be misunderstood—and | will
be misunderstood—! have alsa heard
on religious television that which

. by Robert Kreider

nurtured my soul. | once heard an
exposition of a parable on the Prodigal
Son that was fresh in insight. | was
moved by the story of a son’s alienation
from a famous father and then his
reconciliation in Christ and to his
father. | have heard some TV evangelists
tell jokes about themselves which
helped to make them to be human and
winsome. Certainly there is some
spiritual nourishment to be found here.
Most of us, | think should find better
ways to seek food for our souls and
fellowship in God’s family.

In sharp contrast to TV religious
showmanship are worship services in
the simple, rectangular meeting-
houses of Lancaster Mennonite
Conference congregations. Forty years
ago while in CPS service | attended
regularly services in one of these
congregations. Then | felt cramped by
the rigid plainness, authoritarian polity,
restricted program, and all too frequent
dull sermons. The redeeming part of
that experience were those Sunday
School classes taught by gifted
laymen—rich in biblical wisdom, fresh
in applications, world-encompassing in
relevance.

This year | have attended services
in almost twenty Lancaster
congregations with quite a different set
of impressions than those derived from
TV religious shows. Church life has
changed in Lancaster County: less
rigidity, restrictiveness, dullness. Or,
perhaps, | have changed.

1. On entering a Lancaster
Conference meetinghouse one is
greeted by real people. Names are
exchanged, a hand extended, a
bulletin offered, and one is
invited to attend a Sunday School
class where one meets people.
The mimeographed bulletin
normally does not carry the full
order of service, but gives the
name of the preacher and
worship leader, and provides
much information of what is

going on in the life of the
congregation.

2. ‘The literature racks preach a
sermon supportive of the pulpit:
informational and devotional
materials ranging from tracts on
Mennonite history, soul winning,
nonconformity in dress, Menno
Housing, a seminar on nuclear
issues, corn for Somalia, a nature
study weekend, openings in VS,
mission news from East Africa, a
Bible conference, family worship
helps, marriage enrichment
seminars, and much more. A
wholistic program.

3. The place of worship is plain but
pleasing to the eye—no stained
glass, no organ, occasionally a
piano (used only for special
music), no choir loft, in a few
places—a cross. The walls are
invariably painted in a pastel off-
white hue. Drapes on the
windows usually blend in with the
walls. The floor is carpeted. The
wood benches, arranged in
straight rows, are occasionally
padded. In the alcove at the front
is a raised platform for the
preacher, worship leader, and
song leader—now more
frequently chairs rather than the
traditional bench behind the
pulpit. At the center is the pulpit
with microphone with greenery to
either side. It is a quiet,
worshipful setting with no visual
aids to help or distract.

4. Most adults bring their Bibles to
the service and members are
invited to follow with the worship
leader and preacher the reading
of the Scriptures.

5. Hymns are sung a cappella from
one of the three or four different
hymnbooks. Only occasionally is
there special music. Members of
the choral group come forward
from their places in the congre-
gation to sing.

6. Visitors may be asked to stand and
introduce themselves to the
congregation. One is a person
and is welcome.

rf The purpose of the offering is
announced with a sentence or
two and without emotional
appeals. Ushers, usually young
people and sometimes in quite
informal dress, gather the
offering, often while a hymn is
being sung by the congregation.

8. The preachers are mostly

unknown to me. Their sermons
are always biblically grounded,
solid, illustrated with applications
from daily life. Sermons seem to
well up out of the Scripture and a
sharing of the Christian
experience. | hear no ego-
tripping, no hard selling, no
attention-attracting techniques,
little or no legalism, no put-
downs. The preachers develop
Anabaptist/Mennonite themes
without parading Mennonite
labels. In my notes are recorded
sermon themes on personal
salvation, cultivation of the
devotional life, church,
discipleship in daily living, family
relationships, neighbor relation-
ships, hunger, communicating the
Gospel at home and overseas,
peacemaking and warmaking,
seeking first the Kingdom of
Heaven, being one of God’s
people. Some sermons are only
average. In a few services there
are vestiges of an earlier pattern
where other pastors and deacons
gave brief affirming or amplifying
comments on the sermon—
responses from “the bench.”

9. After the service people introduce
themselves, seek to learn who we
are, try to find linkages, express
their pleasure in having us
present. There are invitations to
come home with them to dinner.
After watching TV one receives no
invitations to come home to
dinner.

Much has changed in Lancaster
Conference churches. People seem
more open. Some dress plain, but not
as they once did. In only a few
congregations did we kneel for prayer.
Occasionally we hear a piano. Overall,
however, the appearance of the people
and the style of worship is simple.

Lancaster Conference congre-
gations may have their flaws of
character. Judged, however, by those
worship services in Lancaster meeting-
houses, | as a visitor feel nourished.
Here is the whole wheat bread of life. If
| were staying longer in these parts, |
could easily find my church home in
one of these congregations. | would
have no need to dial that toll free
number.

Robert Kreider is a professor at Bethel
College, North Newton, Kansas, a historian,
editor of Mennonite Life, and active in
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and
Mennonite World Conference. He is based
at MCC this sabbatical observing and
working on writing projects.

Festival Quarterly 9

"foreign beat _

THE ARTISTASA Zé“

SOCIAL CRITIC

by Jan Gleysteen

— a selection of illustrations

In my previous column | pointed out
that the artists’ role as a social critic is a
relatively new idea. And on the whole this
role has not inspired a lot of first-class
work. The most universal and timeless
poems and paintings are not likely to be
comments on the passing scene, because
that is indeed passing.

But occasionally, in the hands of a
great craftsman fired by deep conviction,
a statement of concern rises above this
limitation to become a statement for all
times, addressed to all humanity.

This page features representative
pieces from various countries. Not
surprisingly, many of the works are
heartfelt statements against war, the
ultimate enemy of the arts, and all things
living and beautiful.

NEVER AGAIN WAR, Kathe Kollwitz, Germany
= :

Y,

cs

OLD AND FROZEN, Ernst Barlach, Germany
THESE SEATS RESERVED FOR THE WAR ;

DISABLED, Erich Heckel, Germany

_LARRIERE

YESTERDAY THIS WAS CALLED MURDER ...
THE LABORERS, José Venturelli, Chile TODAY? Frans Masereel, Belgium HOPELESSNESS, Rika Unger, Germany

10 May, June, July, 1982

THE SURVIVORS, Kathe Kollwitz, Germany

THE WAR HERO, Jan Lenica, Poland

Jan Gleysteen, an artist and historian, lives
in Scottdale, Pennsylvania, where he works for
Mennonite Publishing House and participates
in Tour-Magination as a leader of tour groups
in Europe.

Festival Quarterly 11

Perils of Profession¢e

Editor’s Note: Perils of Professionalism is a full-length book
recently published by Herald Press. It is a collection of
articles interlaced with personal stories written by members
of the Mennonite and Brethren families, who are
professionals — but uneasy with that title and the dilemmas it
brings. The following excerpts are taken from throughout the
book.

Donald B. Kraybill is associate professor
of sociology at Elizabethtown (PA)
College and author of The Upside-
Down Kingdom.

An ad in the newspaper informs me
that there’s a “professional popcorn
“= popper” which comes in a gift package
“with professionally prepared corn and professional
butter’”’ — probably from professional cows with professional
udders. While such careless and flippant use of the term
“professional” evaporates its meaning, it still carries a strong
appeal for most of us. The meaning of the word has been
utterly corrupted, yet the professional label continues to be
attractive, prestigious, and sought after.

The editors, Kraybill and Good.

There is a sense in which the following pieces represent
the collective wisdom of a community of people on a
journey from the plow to professions.

Lois Yake Kenagy, Corvallis, Oregon, farms with her
husband and is a church and community volunteer.

The special status granted to professionals in the
community tends to be carried over into the church. For
instance, one church-related board as recently as 1976 asked
that persons nominated be chosen from the categories
“church person, businessperson, educator, and professional.”
Professionals included “doctors, attorneys, and others who
have specialized resources and technical knowledge which
persons in the other categories cannot provide.”
Consequently, that particular board included several doctors,
although medical expertise was not related to the work at
hand.

Ruth Detweiler Lesher is doing an
internship in Philadelphia for her
eq COctoral program in psychology.

Autonomy, freedom, individual initiative,
and the need for quick decisions make the
responsibilities of a farmer and a
professional similar in many ways. Both involve risk and
reward. The freedom to “be one’s own boss” is similar in the
stable and the office. The decisions in both occupations are
made against equally unpredictable odds of changing
weather, changing human emotions, behaviors, and money
markets. And yet there is a profound difference between life
on the land and life at the desk. Historically, the farmer had
little power over people compared to the professional of
today. The farmer did not enjoy the prestigious respect given
to the professional.

My tradition didn’t teach me how to handle power.
Quiet farming was such an easy way to salt the earth and
light the world. The professional world demands vocal,
aggressive, and shrewd power brokers to cope with the
multiplicity of forces in professional life. This seems so

12 May, June, July, 1982

different from my cultural heros — the quiet, faithful farmers.

Being a Christian woman doesn’t make power easier to
handle. Differences between a Mennonite farm woman and a
professional woman have more to do with the status that
society gives educational degrees than with a shift from
stereotyped feminine skills to masculine ones. Many
Mennonite women that I’ve observed on the farm
demonstrate significant responsibility, independence, and
good management skills.

v, Nancy Fisher Outley is social service
director of the Women’s Alternative
Center in Media, PA.

Amish society is a community of
nonprofessionals. However, many in the
__ “2, community have developed knowledge
and skills that would qualify them as competent
agriculturists and home economists .. . . If success is
measured by outcome or results, surely Amish farms and the
array of handicrafts and culinary goods within the home are
evidence of the work of highly qualified “professional”
people. But, our society has ruled that no matter how
successful the outcome, it is only crofessional if an individual
passes through a long academic process. Using our society’s
definition of professional, | had no professional role models
as a young Amish child.

| think my first conscious move away from

professionalism was to stop using the possessive ‘“‘my” when
referring to the persons with whom | related. It seemed
demeaning and dehumanizing for both of us when | referred
to them as “my clients” or ‘“‘my boys’’. In this
deprogramming process, my old Amish values began to
supersede my newly acquired professional value system. In
professional jargon, | began translating the skills, values, and
cultural framework that | had acquired as an Amish child into
an “Amish or brotherhood” treatment modality.

Phyllis Pellman Good is editor of
Festival Quarterly and co-director with
her husband, Merle, of The People’s
Place near Lancaster, PA.

Unfortunately, there are few models of
successful marriages where both spouses
a have found partnership and fulfillment in
their careers (whether at home or in a_ profession).

It’s a stiff climb, and one that doesn’t end. In

addition to love, two people need to bring some less
romantic qualities to their marriage: respect for each other
(no matter what either’s professional status is); willingness to
be vulnerable (not considered a virtue in professional
circles); the commitment to spend time together at the risk
of needing to say “no” to the voracious appetite of one’s
profession and its demand for time (like the Mennonite
pastor who refused to meet a visitng Mennonite leader on
his only evening in the area because it conflicted with the
pastor’s family night); the deliberate attempt to collaborate
rather than compete, no matter the size of the issue at hand
(“My time is more valuable than yours” is an assumption
strictly out of bounds).

There are attitudes to cultivate. Perhaps the hardest and
yet most basic is servanthood. It must be learned and kept in
shape, the same as one’s profession. If that ideal prevails in
one’s mind and behavior, the dominant grip of one’s
profession is weakened. That may create plusses at home and

ISM, edited by Donald B. Kraybill and Phyllis Pellman Good

fallout at work. And since home and office are connected by
a person, the balance inside him or her doesn’t happen
without tensions. “I feel defeated no matter what | do,”
becomes an often repeated chorus.

Carl Rutt is associate professor of
psychiatry at the University of South
Dakota School of Medicine.

At home, mother the doctor or father the
teacher is simply a parent and a spouse. |
lose patience with my children despite the
fact that my daily professional work involves counseling
parents in distress who lose patience with their children! In
the family setting, the professional parent needs to be
human, imperfect, and on a par with the other
parent. He or she must be vulnerable and subject to criticism.

. If a busy parent waltzes in after a heavy day at the office,
expecting to be waited on or to be treated with homage,
conflict is inevitable. The remaining family members need to
sense they are as important as the career of the professional
parent.

Frank Ward is pastor of the Rainbow
Boulevard Mennonite Church in
Kansas City, Kansas.

Some people clearly don’t pay attention
to me unless they can think of me as a
[2 Ma professional. | remember Mrs. Miller in my
Ly pastorate who always introduced me to influential friends
s “Doctor Ward” or “The Reverend Frank Ward.” | always
was tempted to respond with, “Just call me Frankie.”

But another group won't listen to me unless they
perceive me as a nonprofessional. Should | play the game?
Do | really want authority? (Why are management skills
workshops so popular with ministers right now? | get two or
three notices in the mail each week.) Okay, | don’t want to
lord it over people, but | do want them to give fair
consideration to what | say, both from the pulpit and in
committees.

Another question. Do | give as much consideration to
the ideas of nonprofessional people in the congregation as |
do to those of the professionals? To the ideas of the less
affluent as well as those of the more affluent? Do |
automatically attach more worth to some than to others?
Better think about that, Frank.

Donald B. Kraybill.

The whole framework of professional care assumes that it
is the clients or students who are the needy. In fact, the
professional providers are often the ‘‘needy” ones, however.
They must have clients to maintain their job and income and
“cases” to support and feed their economic structures.

Gordon D. Kaufman is professor of
| theology at Harvard Divinity School.

The problems with which members of
%} modern professions must deal most of the
= time simply were not addressed by

the writers ay the Bible, because they are

problems that arise from a completely different cultural
situation, one that those writers could never have imagined

. It is not at all clear how the Bible can remain
authoritative in the day-to-day decisions of the lives of most
Americans in professions.

We all need a group with whom we can share our
deepest and most destructive dilemmas; we need a group so
open and nonjudgmental that we can bring our most secret
doubts and questions for discussion and consideration; we
need a fellowship of love and trust where we need not
deceive or cover up any of the issues that we encounter as
we try to bring to bear the understanding of human
existence which we have inherited from our Mennonite
tradition on the problems we face in our modern professions.

Marlin E. Miller is professor of
™ theology and president of Goshen
ia Biblical Seminary.

If the Bible is to function as the

foundational resource and unique guide

: for Christian professionals, they will need
the context a a Christian community devoted to biblical
interpretation and moral discernment on at least two levels.
A local congregation constitutes the primary expression of
this process. Second, networks and gatherings of Christian
professionals beyond the usual professional organizations
provide an additional Christian community.

Al Dueck teaches psychology at Fresno
(CA) Pacific College.

As Mennonites continue to move from
villages to cities, professional and
occupational groups become a more
attractive “‘people” than the church community. It is the
professional community that provides a new sense of identity
in the modern culture. It is here that one obtains self-
fulfillment. Professional colleagues become one’s primary
people — the significant others whose opinions matter.

The response of the church to the process of
professionalization has varied from disinterest and
preoccupation with its own programs to identification with a
professional mentality in its way of being the church. A more
faithful response is necessary.

The professional can help the church to be faithful to its
vision. Perhaps one of the reasons professionalism has
become such a problem is because the church itself has
bought into the professionalism mentality. Pastors who
preach in the specialized jargon of theology are little
different than professional psychologists who parade their
vocabulary. The way we organize our church life at times
differs little from the organizational charts of large
bureaucracies. We have become as growth conscious as most
financial organizations.

Excerpted by permission from Perils of
Professionalism, Donald B. Kraybill and
Phyllis Pellman Good, editors. ©1982 by
Herald Press, Scottdale, PA 15683.

Festival Quarterly 13

The Times Of Our

How do people grow up in the
church? How do church statesmen
come to be?

Atlee and Winifred Beechy are a
pair who from the start of their lives
together have followed the church’s
call.

Here they remember how their
lives unfolded; how early events were
proving grounds for later experiences.
At our request they evaluate their road.

What are the critical benchmarks of
our lives which have led us to those
things most important to us through the
years?

What if our established routine
had not been interrupted early in our
marriage by a decision on military
service and conscientious objection?

Atlee’s letter from the President of
the United States inviting him to do
“work of national importance” was not
unexpected. Our decision had already
been made; but the invitations from the
Mennonite Church for Winifred to
serve as dietitian and Atlee as an
administrator gave us the unexpected
opportunity to share that unique two
and one-half year experience in Civilian
Public Service Camps.

It was our introduction to the wider
Mennonite church family, an
acquaintance with more varieties of
Mennonite and Amish than we ever
dreamed existed. It was an enhance-
ment of our convictions of peace and
nonresistance, a discovery that the CO
position is not just a peculiar stance of
Mennonites but is embraced by
Quakers and Brethren on the one hand
to black disciples of Father Divine and
Jews from New York City on the other,

14 May, June, July, 1982

NC

with a sprinkling of all the mainline
denominations in between. Valued
friendships from those years cross
denominational and cultural lines and
extend from coast to coast.

What if we had been given the
option of an uninterrupted teaching
career, moving up the professional
ladder in a secure economic situation
ending with the conventional
retirement years divided between
homes in Florida and Columbus, Ohio?
In retrospect the road through CPS
camps was much more rewarding and
led to other beckoning roads.

What if we had not accepted the
challenge to participate in Mennonite
Central Committee relief and refugee
work in war-torn Europe in 1946? Again
we were enlarged by seeing massive
physical destruction and agonizing
human devastation — the utter failure
of force and violence as a means of
settling disputes. But we also saw the
generous outpouring of relief supplies
and money by concerned human
beings around the world. In our
continuing relationship with MCC the
last 35 years we have witnessed the
church doing emergency relief, long
term development aid, the Christian
presence which stands beside the
suffering and oppressed. We have
observed first-hand the scores of
dedicated, risk-taking Christians who
have represented our caring and
sharing in troubled areas of the world.
And we have become friends with
many nationals in those countries
through our MCC connections,
educational assignments abroad, and
Winifred’s appointment to Mennonite
World Conference.

Images are now part of our

memories. The patient and resigned old

couple on a World War II rubble heap

diligently chip away at cleaning bricks

Winifred and Atlee Beechy in 1942
— their first year of marriage.

to rebuild a world which may be too
late for them. Nearby children playfully
burrow in the debris, innocent of the
hate and violence which has shattered
the lives of their elders.

The ravaged bodies of napalm
victims in the burn wards of Vietnam
hospitals. The despairing homeless
deliberately “refugeed” by war
strategists. Emaciated survivors of
famine, warfare or natural calamity.

The toothpick legs and bloated
stomachs of Biafran children who are
slowly dying of starvation are beyond
the help of food or medical care. In
Bangladesh the fortunate few are
gathered in a child care center whose
storeroom shows the familiar yellow
label of MCC canned beef. Mixed with
fluffy rice and protein-rich lentils, the
life-giving gift is spooned into the eager
mouths of a half-dozen tiny tots on the
floor in front of a Bengali nurse.

We stand at the threshold of a
miracle of work and water in a desert
area of Pakistan. Near the homemade
mobile home of a group of dusty
Paxmen, a huge pipe spouts the
sparkling vital stream; the pump’s
“beep, beep, beep” is echoed in the
fields of sugar cane, cotton and wheat
to our right. To our left is mirrored the
“before” image of those lush green
fields — glaring tropical sands broken
only by occasional dunes and clumps of
elephant grass. Our volunteers, along

The Beechy’s daughters, Susan, Karen, and
Judith, about 1953.

with their apprentice Pakistani counter-
parts, continue their creative act of land
leveling and ditching for irrigation,
creating from this lifeless grey dust a
green oasis bringing life and hope to
local Pakistani families.

In poverty-ridden Calcutta, an
Indian entrepreneur proudly offers us a
ride in his ‘‘taxi” to show his gratitude
to MCC for his self-help loan to buy
the skinny horse and slightly dilapidated
carriage which allow him to support his

Li V
es by Atlee and Winifred Nelson Beechy

family in dignity.

What if we had found ourselves
isolated from a church or without the
opportunity to develop our talents in

_the context of a Christian community?
Or if that church had been a barricaded
hierarchy which limited participation to
the few or to an old and trusted in-
group? If we had not been given tasks
even in our youth which stretched us
and allowed us to try our wings? It
takes faith for leaders to give younger
members a chance to “become the
church” — to teach, to speak, to serve
on committees, to write, to administer,
to pray and prophesy.

We had a supporting church which
allowed us to grow in faith and
knowiedge, to make mistakes, to be
ourselves. We are now among the old
and the entrenched; we must give way
to younger workers.

What if instead of accepting the
invitation to follow an educational
profession at Goshen College, we had
chosen to serve at a state university?
Both of us began teaching in one-room
country schools — Atlee in the
Pennsylvania Dutch country of Holmes
County, Ohio; Winifred in the less
picturesque countryside of rural
Michigan. His experience in teaching
reading to Amish first graders who
hadn’t yet learned English had a reverse
correlation in her experience years later
in teaching English to Indonesians when
she knew very little of their native
language.

What a contrast from the peaceful
Amish country to the inner city of
Columbus where Atlee was early forced
to become a reconciler when faced
with playground fights involving knife-
wielding junior high students. Our
education experiences from first grade
to graduate school, from Farmerstown
to India/Indonesia/Poland/China, from
public institutions to Christian private
education have taught us that teaching
and learning go together.

As a psychology professor and
counsellor to many young people Atlee
has continued to marvel at the mystery,
glory and power of the human spirit —
its complexity, its capacity to suffer, to
turn around, to make new starts, to be
transformed. Personality is surely God’s
most valuable creation. It must be
handled with care and respect.

Both of us have been involved and
much concerned with peacemaking.

Atlee and Winifred with teachers at
Sichuan Teachers’ College in Sichuan
Province, China, in 1980.

Winifred went back to the classroom at

age 60 to earn a Masters in Peace
Studies while Atlee’s teaching field has
included courses in both Psychology
and Peace Studies. What have we
discovered? Accepting that
psychological factors which foster
aggression and violence are mostly
learned and that those factors which
produce nonviolence and altruistic
behavior can also be learned. In our
homes, schools and churches we ought
to be putting more emphasis on
education for peace. At the same time
the scriptures and Christ’s example
teach us that peacemaking is a way of
life, a part of one’s daily walk.

So we stayed at Goshen College
because we believed in Christian
education and although others may be
called for equally valid service in state
institutions, we made our best
contribution to education and the
church at large on a church-related
campus. After 33 years we believe with
even greater certainty that the future of

the church and its effectiveness rests on
what happens in our church colleges.

What if we had been less
fortunate in family influences and early
training? Parental families that were
church-centered, that reached out to
others even though their reach could
extend no further than the local
community and visiting ministers, who
supported our ventures into a broader
world of education and service, were
undoubtedly of critical importance to
our values and aspirations.

What if we had not been blessed
by a family of our own who tolerated
our absences from home and allowed
us to spend time and energy on service
assignments and church boards instead
of building up an impressive estate? The
willingness of our three daughters to
share responsibility for work and
finances, to cheerfully accept a less-
than-affluent lifestyle, to appreciate
relationships more than possessions,
was helpful to us and, we like to think,
of value to them. We learned much
from them about the priorities of
households and lifestyles.

We can here touch only a few of
the decisions or “given” circumstances
which have molded our lives in the
direction of those things most
significant to us: peace and justice,
service, the church, education, the
family. Looking back we thank God for
those forks in the road which offered us
choices leading to these ends.

But such choices continue as long
as life lasts. Retirement years will bring
new, and perhaps more difficult ones.
While the road has not always been
clearly mapped out before us, nor
followed without soul-searching and
weighing of consequences, for the most
part we have been able to say with the
psalmist: “The lines have fallen to me in
pleasant places; yea, | have a goodly
heritage. .. Thou dost show me the
path of life; in thy presence there is
fullness of joy, in thy right hand are
pleasures for evermore” (Psalms 16:6
and 11).

UU UE EEE EEE IEEE

Winifred Beechy writes on matters of
peace and is a member of Mennonite World
Conference’s General Council.

Atlee Beechy is professor of psychology
at Goshen (Indiana) College. He is a member
of Mennonite Central Committee’s Executive
Committee.

Festival Quarterly 15

Cag
< ae an ey

How vital is music in
your congregation’s life
together?

What kind of music do
you use? Is it performed
by a choir or sung by the
audience?

French Mennonites

Mix Old and New

by Esther Nussbaumer

Music certainly has a significant place in our
congregation’s life together. Maybe it is on a traditional level
. A Sunday service without hymns would seem very sad.

The two sermons, the biblical readings, the prayers are
minimally complemented with four hymns at the very most.
Sometimes when there is room for a congregational
response, one or two of these are chosen by people
attending the service. According to the worship leader it is
also possible to propose choruses, songs, mainly Bible verses.

Sunday school (for children under 13 years old) is the
setting where the teachers emphasize the performance
aspect. Children work hard to sing during celebrations such
as Christmas, Thanksgiving. In fact in many families there is a
strong desire on the side of the parents (sometimes, on that
of the child too!) for their children to learn how to play an
instrument (mostly piano or strings). Too bad that the church
is not a place where children are encouraged to play in
public, to gain confidence, to be affirmed in offering what
they can play.

| enjoyed very much being part of a teenager’s group
(13-18) where the emphasis was on the development of the
whole personality: spiritual, physical, artistic (handcrafts and
music) aspects. In that setting, it was possible to sing any kind
of songs, to sing nicely, or crazily.

To say that music is vital in our fellowship would be too
strong an expression for quite a few people. For me it is vital.
In that sense openness and creativity are lacking in my home
congregation. Music remains an art that only gifted people
work hard at, practice and perform. Where most people feel
good about it is in singing, especially when we experience
the power of the Spirit among us, moving the one or the
other to share or to propose a prayer, a song.

The hymns we sing together are taken from a hymnal
called ‘‘Sur les ailes de la foi’ (On the Wings of Faith). The
majority of the tunes are composed by classical composers or
some from the early 20th century — but many are now
outdated and fortunately the hymnal is being revised.

16 May, June, July, 1982

How could we sing without accompaniment? In our
church, it is assumed that this is impossible. Even if the
person is not playing very well, we need some support. We
are afraid of getting lost, or of hearing the false notes.

The choir fulfills the expectation of singing right
(depending on how good it is!) and has many responsibilities
such as preparing participation in special services, weddings,
etc. Depending on the level of the choir members we may
be more or less ambitious and sing classical pieces such as
Bach chorales. Most of them are chosen by the choir director.

| also feel some tensions when there are new proposals,
such as singing in Hebrew! — We wanted to practice a song
(a Bible verse) and sing it in Hebrew and French. But one of
the couples, members of the choir, was offended, saying that
they did not want to sing something they did not understand.
Even so, we try to deal with the different opinions and want
to work in peace.

There is definitely a move toward more spontaneity,
especially on the part of the young people, couples and
adults. The renewal of interest in folk songs or new tunes
comes from more interaction between our church members
and other groups (student groups, Youth With a Mission,
catholic groups). | find this exchange very enriching and
challenging and hope that it will become an encouragement,
a source of creativity in our churches too.

To widen the perspective on the subject | asked four
French students from Associated Mennonite Biblical
Seminaries (AMBS) to share their first thoughts when thinking
about music in the Mennonite churches in France.

Anne: “Alleluia pump” = “pump organ” (big laugh); the
choir director (a beautiful, dynamic woman with much
patience; the false notes.

Marianne: Brass bands, (the kind of orchestra in our
churches) and choirs (with a suffering smile . . .).

Lydia: Nothing new! No work! No interest!

Denis (her husband): hymns (he seems to appreciate
them and find that sufficient); “I don’t like fancy
performances. | don’t have a musical soul!”

Esther Nussbaumer is one
of 2,000 French Mennonites.
She has taught for 5 years in a
pre-elementary school in
France. She will go back to
France to be musically active in

the Church there after her year
of study at AMBS.

Where the Mennonite
Brethren Are Musically

by Curtis Funk

It seems simple to say that music is of great importance
in the life of our congregation. | went back through past
church bulletins to count the number of musical items which
occur in an average worship service. The number ranged
from eight to eleven. That seems like a good number. But
how vital is the role of music?

| think about the times when the congregation has been
particularly moved by a musical experience, as measured by
the testimonials of our members. It is those times of
congregational participation, not merely observation.

| recall our recent Easter service. The choir presented a
moving musical documentation of the Passover and Christ’s
fulfillment in his own death and resurrection. The

congregation participated with the choir in singing and
sharing in the Lord’s Supper. All the dramatic elements were
present. The timing was perfect. It was a simple chorus; it
was a jubilant anthem; it was a silent prayer; it was a
triumphant organ voluntary; it was a quiet vocal solo. But
somehow, the congregation was drawn into the experience,
and from where | sat, the facial expressions of joy and
reverence, of tears and smiles told me that their participation
was the key.

To know the diversity of our congregation is to know the
diversity of music and performance practices within the life
of the church. At a recent choir dinner we began singing
“those old favorites” long ago left out of our newer hymnals.
We carried on for over an hour and many in the group
expressed the nostalgic desire to ‘“‘sing those songs in church
sometime,” Yet another expression from many is to sing
more “contemporary songs and choruses” also not found in
our hymnal.

Although the regular musical diet in our church draws
quite heavily from the standard hymns, we do make attempts
at broadening the musical palate of our members. Recently,
at an evening of musical request, we had a classical piano
piece and a “hillbilly-gospel’”’ duet. We even witnessed our
young people play tuned pop bottles on one occasion.

Although our congregation is accustomed to
accompanied singing, it is not infrequent that hymn singing
and choir anthems occur a cappella.

In the last 10 to 15 years we have changed very little. |
think it is difficult for churches to change, and frequently
change comes by force or default. not by choice. In our case,
the changes have been apparent in at least two areas, both of
which | think came by choice, but probably not without
pressure.

We have moved to a salaried choir director and organist.
This has begun to produce more structure in the music
program and long-range planning is part of our concern. This
change has both good and bad implications. It is good in that
we can begin to deal programmatically with deficiencies such
as might occur in our children’s musical training, for
example. On the other hand, greater programming by
“professionals” poses the threat of greater disengagement of
the congregation in the life of the fellowship.

Second, the kind of music we use now is much more
“current” than in years past. Little by little our congregational
singing is of new hymns and choruses which come out of
scripture or meaningful contemporary verse. Choir anthems
too, are for the most part contemporary choral settings, not a
series of museum pieces collected over the decades.

| believe that the musical life of our congregation is
healthier now than at any time. | will “faith it” that the music
will also produce greater motivation for Christian service and
discipleship.

Curtis Funk is a music
professor at Fresno (CA) Pacific
College and Minister of Music
at Butler Ave. Mennonite

Brethren Church in Fresno.

The Place of Music in
Indian Churches

by Leah Sonwani

Music is the life of Indian people of all religions, sects,
and tribes. It’s the best means of self-expression, self-
satisfaction, and recreation.

Music has been used by missionaries and nationals to
present the Gospel and lead people to Christ. Even today,
Gospel Singing Teams, local Youth Choir (Bhajan Mandgi)
Good News Broadcasting Society’s Program called Maschi
Vandana, Transworld Radio’s Program “‘Aradhana” and
Carves Program “‘Swar-Sangam’’ etc. are the modern
techniques to evangelize the people.

In Bhartiya General Conference Mennonite Church
different traditions are followed within different parts of the
conference. In Northern churches, music is in National Hindi
and the local language, Lariya, accompanied by harmonica,
tabla, flute, cymbals, guitar, sitar and tambourine. Singing is
part of the worship and other spiritual, social meetings.
Youth have music competitions. Even children have such
competitions. Old and young men spend the whole night in
singing on the loudspeaker. On special occasions such as
Christmas, weddings and Christian fairs, singing is the main
attraction and joy of the people.

In the Southern part they mostly sing in their local
language. The beautiful Gospel songs are sung day and night
during a special celebration called “The Watchmen of
Christ.” It continues for 3-4 days. Different singing groups of
nearby villagers sing one after another without break. They
also dance in a big circle along with the music.

The Kalvary Church of Surguza area is a tribal
congregation. They are the great dancers and singers. After 3
hours of loud music and singing in the night, men and
women dance together till six o’clock in the morning, in
summer as well as in winter.

In the main churches, Sunday worship is conducted in
Western style. Though they don’t have an organ or piano
prelude, the services start with congregational singing which
is mostly a translation of the Mennonite Hymnal. There are
songs composed by nationals on local tunes which are sung
in unison. The Doxology too is an important part of services.

A youth choir mostly leads in singing in special worship
services, conferences, etc. Men and women lead in the
singing or start the song. Sometimes it’s accompanied by
instruments but most of the time they sing in beautiful
melodious voices. Children, and even older people give solos
during the service.

In the last 10-15 years Christian radio singing has made a
great impact on the church music. Mostly young people and
children and some adults like to sing them. Even some new
publications are being circulated in the community. But new
editions of old Gospel hymns are still in great demand. New
compositions are mostly based on Indian tunes, which are
also used in Indian movies. For this reason the older
generation does not appreciate the latest compositions. The
pop music is also lightly used for Christian composition, but
its use is nominal.

| believe it’s good to have Indian tunes and classical
music for Christian worship, but altogether. Songs and music
are meant to praise and glorify God. So they should be able
to create devotional and meaningful experiences for the self
and others. Recreational and dance music should be saved
for other occasions.

Leah Sonwani is a third generation
Christian from Janjgir, G.C. Mennonite
Church, M.P. India. She has an MA in
philosophy and a Bachelor of
Fducation. For 5 years she was a

teacher in India. For 6 years she was
the director of women’s work in
GCMC. She is presently a student at
the Associated Mennonite Biblical
Seminaries.

Festival Quarterly 17

| 9 Oo Se
Roth on Wisdom-Gathering Project

Dwight Roth is spending his
sabbatical year talking to people who
were born between 1890 and 1915 and
who are members of the Mennonite
Church. Why? “I’m looking for stories
and memories that won’t otherwise be
preserved,” he explained. ‘But I’m not a
historian. I’m trying to get at the emotions
of Mennonite life between 1910 and
1950.”

So far his work has led him to
interesting individuals and confirmed
some sobering conclusions. “The more
modern a society becomes,” he reflected
to Festival Quarterly, “the less status their
elderly have.” That belief has given
direction to his research and writings
which are of three varieties: ““a summary
of distinctive Mennonite traits as defined
by the elderly; profiles on specific elderly
individuals; and notes, quotes, and
anecdotes or a kind of wit and wisdom
collection.”

Roth will use his gathered material
when he returns to his social science
classes at Hesston (KS) College in the fall
of 1982. “I’ll use these writings in my
anthropology class, especially the section
referred to as the ‘aged as teachers.’ ”

He finds his interviewees by going
into Mennonite retirement homes and
villages and asking their social workers
and activities directors, “Who likes to talk
here?” And he seeks out the names of
older people not living in retirement
homes everywhere he goes. His strategy is
to zero in on a particular theme or
question and then let that lead on into
other subjects.

Frequently he asks in what ways
Mennonites practice nonconformity
today. ‘“‘People often mention
nonresistance as the main distinguishing
Mennonite trait,” Roth commented.

“On the future of the Mennonite
Church they say, well, we’ll probably
keep our nonresistance, but we'll be
Protestant rather than Anabaptist. They
see the need for nonresistance to affect all
of life.

“There’s a very split response on
materialism. Some think it’s something to
worry about. Others say that years ago
people were so consumed by survival that
they couldn’t reflect on spiritual things.”

Roth has not found a lot of bitterness
or fear in the first 35 of his proposed 100
interviews. “I’m surprised at the positive

feeling about change and their optimism
about the church. They say young people
today are more spiritual; they carry their
Bibles today. And a lot of them are glad to
see the old strictness go. There is some
anger and hostility — these people are
concerned about the ‘do your own thing’
attitude.”

The project has been an intensely
personal one for Roth. It has taken him to
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Goshen, Indiana,
and communities in Virginia, Kansas, and
Nebraska. “This is a kind of pivotal
generation in terms of world develop-
ment,” he points out. “Many remember
when the first cars were seen; they grew
up using horses and buggies!

“I go away humbled after almost
every interview. | record about two hours
of interview with each person. Then they
usually want to talk an hour or so
afterward, often over cookies and tea.
That conversation becomes more
spiritual.”

If Roth’s project goes as he hopes, his
collection will be published. ““Old people
have a universal need to tell their stories,”
he says. The rest of us will benefit by
hearing them. (Ke

Ministers of Elderly Introduced

The Illinois Conference of the
Mennonite Church has taken on their first
conference-wide “‘aging ministers.”

Royce and Doris Engle of

Spencerville, Ohio, will operate much

18 May, June, July, 1982

like conference youth ministers, going
from congregation to congregation to
hold seminars on aging and retirement
and to help individual churches establish
their own programs for and with their

aging members.

Partially spurred on by the larger
society’s growing sensitivity to the elderly
and partly motivated by statistics that peg
half the members of the Mennonite
Church in their retirement by the year
2,000, several church organizations have
been taking steps to systematically draw
on the resources of the elderly.

Some dreamers foresee the
emergence of Mennonite Elderly
Fellowship, a parallel to Mennonite Youth
Fellowship. Perhaps the Engles, who are in
a three-year VS assignment with the
Mennonite Board of Missions, will
become models for aging ministries
throughout the Mennonite Church.

Both in their mid-60’s, the Engles
have been active lay people in the Salem
Mennonite Church, Lima, Ohio. Doris
was an_ instructor at Northwestern
Business College in Lima; Royce worked
as a training manager at Avis New Idea
Farm Equipment Division, Coldwater,

Ohio. (hy

worldwide news

Renewal and Peace
Occupy London Mennonites

The shape of the London Mennonite
Centre has undergone achange in the last
year. Its focus has shifted from being a
student ministry to being an intentional
community and Anabaptist resource
center.

Why the switch? ‘Mennonites in
England are coming to the point where
they can make a contribution to what it
means to live the Christian life,”
explained pastor/director Alan Kreider to
Festival Quarterly. “There is a sudden
realization that many issues which we as a
people felt were basic are _ being
perceived by others, too, as basic to
human existence.”

The Centre finds itself in contact
especially with two groups. Said Kreider,
“There are some scholars who are

Alan Kreider

Latin Americans Take Peace

Matters of nonresistance and peace
are of growing concern to Mennonites in
Latin America.

In mid-winter a small but enthusiastic
group gathered in Bragado, Argentina to
consider “The Posture of Nonviolence

discovering Anabaptism. And there are
evangelicals who are interested in peace
studies who feel a commonness with us.
We are in touch with a growing network
of people who are finding renewal in the
Anabaptist tradition.

“It is generally charismatic Christians
who are interested in the peace life and
justice. And many of these people are in
communities. So we’re servicing those
fellowships with literature and
experience while we learn many things
from them. We do supportive work; we
can offer stability.”

The Centre staff is working hard at
developing a library of source materials
on Anabaptism. “Shortly,” commented
Kreider, ‘it will be the easiest place in
London to do Anabaptist study.”’ The
collection is also strong in renewal and
peace studies. In addition to housing
sources the Centre operates a bookstore,
last year selling about $12,000 (U.S.) worth
of materials.

Both Alan and Eleanor Kreider find a
lot of inspiration for their ministry in the
life of the New Testament church. Eleanor
is collecting sources related to that period
of Christianity for the library as well.

And both Kreiders are personally
involved in the Centre’s increasingly
vocal witness. ““My main concern,” said
Alan, “is to get evangelicals involved in
peace issues. In evangelical circles I’ve
found a voice. I’ve been trying to get
peace people and ‘Just Warriors’
together.”

Recently he was involved in a well
publicized debate with Sir Neil Cameron
(once a Marshall of the Air Force and now
principal of King’s College in London) in
the London Lectures on Contemporary
Christianity. “Debating,” speculated
Alan, “is going to be a coming thing. The
peace witness involves spiritual warfare
and | really sense the need for prayer. Our
peace witness must be undergirded with
Spirituality and there must be no
dichotomy between the two. More and
more we are going to be under fire
politically, theologically, and, at times,

and the Church’s Task of Reconciliation.”

Longtime missions worker, John
Driver, addressed the group on the place
of violence in the Old Testament, how the
gospel of peace relates to that, some
Christian alternatives to violence, and

=

Eleanor Kreider

personally.”

Eleanor takes a lot of responsibility
for the integrity of the community’s
worship services together. “Our worship
needs to reflect our life — and to shape
our life. We are to become who we are. In
the early church the Lord’s Table was an
economic reality. The people’s charity
and sacraments and worship were one.”

That kind of insight permeates the
rousing Sunday morning worship held
weekly in the Centre’s chapel.

The Centre’s community life shores
up its more public work. “The house is
just full of rooms,” explained Alan, “‘but
we're not looking for overnight guests.
Instead we are moving toward a fuller life
together; we’re committed to each other.
It’s a very exciting time to be here.” fal

Seriously

Biblical ideas for economic relations.
Plans are for seminars of this nature to
be held at least every other year, rotating
their locations among Brazil, Argentina,
Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay, where
there are Mennonite churches. (fa)

Festival Quarterly 19

When traveling through Ontario

this summer....

. we'd like to welcome you to Elmira and
St. Jacobs. Whether you are interested in
scenery or in antiques, whether you like
shopping or hiking, taking pictures or just
meeting people, there is plenty to see and to do
in the area.

Take time to discover the many craft and gift
shops in the historic St. Jacobs Country Mill.

And while you are there, a visit to the Stone
Crock restaurants is always “‘in good taste.”’

the STONE CROCK
Restaurant & Gift Shop

Now in two locations:
King Street, St. Jacobs, Ontario NOB 2NO
Phone: (519) 664-2286
and
59 Church Street West, Elmira, Ontario
N3B 1M8
Phone: (519) 669-1521

for people who enjoy wood

A whole line of unique home
furnishings for your kitchen, living
room, den, and bedroom. Rockers,
tables, stools, and plank bottom
chairs.

Write for brochure or
visit our showroom at
20 South Market Street
Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Phone: 717/367-4728

Harvest Drive
Farm Motel
and Restaurant

Located in the gentle rolling hills of the
peaceful Amish country on an actual farm.
Motel and restaurant owned and operated
by Mennonite folks, serving authentic home-
style cooking, family-style, dinners and
platters, seafood or steak.

You will enjoy our tasty food and scenic
dining area or banquet facilities. Located
one mile southwest of Intercourse. Take
Clearview Rd. off Rt. 340 to Harvest Dr. or
two miles north of Paradise off Rt. 30 on
Belmont Rd. to Harvest Dr.

You'll be glad you did.

3370 Harvest Dr.
Gordonuille, PA 17529

Phone: 717/768-7186
For Reservations: 1-800-328-5511

20 May, June, July, 1982

american abroad

Sub-Saharan Postpartum
Prattle (2nd ed.)

by James and Jeanette Krabill

Just over a year has passed now since
we first got word that the time had arrived
to begin thinking about having another
child. The message came on a Sunday
afternoon as we sat chatting with a young
African couple who had stopped by fora
friendly visit. Matthew, our first-born, had
been playing contentedly in the middle of
the room when suddenly he positioned
himself on all fours, hoisted his bottom
into the air and with his head touching the
floor, gazed intently about the room
through the back of his legs. Our guests
burst into laughter. “Among our people,”
they informed us, “when a child does
that, we say that he is looking for a
playmate. Jeanette, the time has come for
you to send forth the second child.”

Then of course we had to decide
what kind of chila—boy or girl—-to “‘send
forth.” An article in the local newspaper
entitled, “The Sex of Your Child Is Found
On Your Plate,” provided some helpful
advice. To have a girl, we were told, one’s
diet should be rich in starchy foods, fresh
and/or frozen vegetables, dried fruits and
unsalted butter. All fruits excepting
pineapple, peaches and prunes were
permitted. And the more milk products
consumed, according to the author, the
better one’s chances of success. If, on the
other hand, having a boy is what interests
you, then your diet should include meats,
fresh fruits and dried vegetables. For
dessert: jelly-filled pastries, sherbet,
cakes (made without milk), prunes and
raisins. Salted butter could be eaten in this
case and to drink, “‘as much wine as you
wish’? (non-applicable to North
American, Mennonite missionaries).

Having no particular preference we
decided to try a risky experiment and mix
diets—a little milk here, a few prunes
there—figuring that nothing stranger
could occur than, say, having triplets (one
of each). As it turned out, however,
nothing happened as extra-ordinary as all
that—aside from giving birth on March 6,
1982, to Elisabeth Anne Neff Krabill, the
most extraordinary young lady we had
ever seen.

A Parenthetical Riddle

Q. When multiple children (twins,
triplets, etc.) are born, which of the new
arrivals is the older: the first or last to
appear?

A. North Americans think the first.
But for many Africans it is the last. Reasons
given: the older child is responsible for
taking care of the younger one and this is
done most effectively by keeping the
latter out in front where he or she can best
be watched. Furthermore, the older child
is the one who gives the orders. (Age
always takes precedence in Africa.) And
so it is said that the younger child is sent
out into the world by the older sibling as a
messenger to announce the _latter’s
imminent arrival and to make the
necessary arrangements for welcoming
someone of his or her recognized status.

One of the women in the village has
offered to give us some local tips on
childcare as soon as Jeanette gets home
from the clinic. Included will be
instructions on how to properly regulate
our daughter’s bowel movements. The
procedure: administer enema morning
and evening. Only equipment needed:
water, hot pepper and/or herbal leaves.
Advantages of method: guaranteed,
immediate results. And you can kiss
baby’s diapers good-bye. (Option: You
may prefer simply telling them good-
bye.) Major disadvantage: Your child will
likely end up with an underdeveloped
sphincter muscle and be thus hooked on
“the pump” (as the syringe is called here)
for the rest of his/her days. (Our 85 year
old neighbor can vouch for us here
should further proof be needed.)

Now, we are committed to cultural
adaptation whenever possible, but we are
considering drawing the line on this one.
Which means a year from now still
sloshing about in steamy diaper pails. And
puzzling many vil-
lagers who can’t
imagine why any-
one would choose to
lead such a messy
existence. fa

James and Jeanette Krabill, Mission
Associates under the Mennonite Board of
Missions, live in Ivory Coast, West Africa,
where they are available to the independent
African churches.

international quiz :

How Well Do You
Know Your Brothers
and Sisters of Africa?

by Paul N. Kraybill

u Can you match the following languages spoken by Mennonites with the
appropriate country?
A. Amharic 1. Kenya
B. Kiswahili 2. Nigeria
C. Ndebele 3. Ethiopia
D. Efik 4. Zimbabwe
F. Tshiluba 5. Zaire
2. Many of our brothers and sisters in Africa have come to Christianity from a
background of:
a) animism b) Islam c) Buddhism d) Shintoism (Choose two)
3: Match these names of current leaders among Mennonite or Brethren in Christ
conferences with the church body they represent.
A. Zedekiah M. Kisare 1. Ghana Mennonite Church
B. Steven N. Ndlovu 2. Tanzania Mennonite Church
C. Abraham Wetseh 3. Brethren in Christ Church in
Zambia
D. Mbonza Kikungu 4. Mennonite Community of Zaire
E. Wm. T. Silungwe 5. Brethren in Christ Church in
Zimbabwe
4, How many of the nine countries in Africa with Mennonite congregations can
you name?
5. The first Mennonite or Brethren in Christ mission was established in Africa in
a) 1912 b) 1932 —_c) 1898
6. The Congo Inland Mission was organized as an inter-Mennonite mission from
its beginning in 1912. True or False.

ris The Mennonite Evangelical Community of Zaire originated and developed as
an independent movement because of political and tribal tensions.

True or False.

8. “Hayye an Ammanno” is the name of a song written by a brother in Somalia.
True or False.
9. Who was the first non-western person to be elected President of Mennonite
World Conference and from where did he come?
10. Name two capital cities in Africa where Mennonite congregations are found.
Lt There are more Mennonites in Africa than in Canada. True or False.

AZ. In what period did most of the Mennonite conferences in Africa make the
transition from mission sponsorship to autonomy and self government?

a) 1971-1975 bb) 1961-1971 __—_c) 1935-1945
(Answers on page 22.) il

Note: Ref. question 8, pages 20-21 November, December 1981, January 1982 Festival
Quarterly, Jim Juhnke writes: “The General Conference Mennonite Church does not
trace its history to a common origin resulting from a division with the Mennonite
Brethren in Russia in 1860. The General Conference Mennonite Church was organized
at a meeting at West Point, lowa, the second day of Pentecost in 1860. ... It is quite
doubtful if these organizers of a new General Conference had any idea of what was
transpiring in Russia between the new Mennonite Brethren and the old Kirchlicke
group.... Eventually many of the former “Kirchliche” Mennonites from Russia joined
the North American General Conference, but the old organization was never
transferred over from Russia.”

Paul Kraybill is Executive Secretary for Mennonite World Conference.

Celebrate
Creativity!

The Otd
Country
Stor

Intercourse, PA,
offers you beautiful

handcrafted items made locally.

e quilts

e pillows

e afghans

e soft calico toys

e crayon holders

® aprons

e guilt books &
art cards

e fabrics & quilting
supplies

e sock monkeys

e patch work table-
cloths

e patchwork chair pads

® wooden farm
animals

e handmade dolls &
doll clothes

® wooden puzzles &
trains

e turtle foot stools

® calico potholders

Come and buy
special gifts, or simply
allow your creative self

to be inspired.

The Old
Country

Stor

Main Street Intercourse, PA 17534
Phone 717/768-7101

Festival Quarterly 21

ot gan

Reprinted in World Press Review, March, 1982.

Quino/Status/Sao Paulo

Quiz Answers

As SS ABe li<G: 4s sD ES
a) animism; b) Islam
AG 2? BRO; ee lea 4 ees

Any of these: Ethiopia, Ghana,
Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, Tanzania,
Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

C) 1898. The Brethren in Christ
began their work in Southern
Rhodesia in that year.

True. Congo Inland Mission
was organized in 1912 by the
Defenseless Mennonites and the
Central Conference of Mennon-
ites. Later other groups joined. To-
day it continues under the name
Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission.

True. During the revolution in
the 1960’s a pastor in the Zaire
Mennonite Church, Kazadi
Muadianvita, was forced by events
to flee to Eastern Kasai. Here he
formed a church among his own
people, now known as_ the
Mennonite Evangelical Com-
munity of Zaire, with member-
ship of 3,820.

True. This song was written by
Adam J. Farah and is published in
the International Songbook of
Mennonite World Conference
(1978).

Million Belete, Ethiopia. He is now
resident in Kenya and serves as
General Secretary for Africa for
the United Bible Societies.

Any two of these: Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia; Accra, Ghana; Nairobi,
Kenya; Mogadiscio, Somalia;
Dare EssSalaam, Tanzania:
Kinshasha, Zaire; Salisbury,
Zimbabwe.

True. The 1982 MWC. Di-

rectory to be released in June will
show 98,700 Mennonites in Africa
compared with 92,000 in Canada.
b

(Questions on page 21)

May, June, July, 1982

@ The author of If | Were Starting My Family
Again has once more written a book that has
grown out of a magazine article. John M.
Drescher authored the book, Why | Am a
Conscientious Objector, published by Herald
Press, Scottdale, PA.

@ More than 20 years of research on the history
of pacifism are reflected in a new, 81-page
booklet by Peter Brock, the author of three
previous scholarly volumes on_ pacifism.
Brock’s new book, The Roots of War
Resistance: Pacifism From the Early Church to
Tolstoy includes chapters on Mennonite
pacifism.

e Brethren Press has just published The Idea of
Disarmament: Rethinking the Unthinkable by
Alan Geyer. The book is being distributed to all
members of Congress, courtesy of an
anonymous donor.

e Scheduled for release by Herald Press,
Scottdale, PA, in September, 1982 is the English
version of Radikale Reformatoren, originally
published by C. H. Beck Publishers in Munich,
Germany. Profiles of Radical Reformers was
translated into English by Walter Klaassen,
professor of history at Conrad Grebel College
in Waterloo, Ontario and edited by Hans-
Juergen Goertz, Professor at the University of
Hamburg, Germany.

® Mennonite churchman Myron Augsburger
is a writer for the Communicator’s
Commentary on the New Testament,
comprised of 12 volumes, to be published
through 1983. His volume on the book of
Matthew starts off the series by contributors
from various denominational backgrounds,
published by Word Books Publishers of Waco,
TX.

@ A_ paperback discussing missions and
evangelism, Evangelizing Neopagan North
America,has been published by Herald Press,
Scottdale, PA. The author, Alfred C. Krass,
originally presented the essays that make up
the book asa series of lectures at the Associated
Mennonite Biblical Seminaries during 1979-80.

@ Faith and Life Press, Newton, KS, has
announced the tentative title, | Heard Good
News Today, for a collection of more than 90
mission and service stories for children,
authored by Cornelia Lehn, whose children’s
book of stories about peace, Peace Be With
You, was published by Faith and Life Press in
1980.

@ Not only has Barbara Claassen Smucker’s
children’s book, Days of Terror, won many
awards and prizes and been translated into
several foreign languages, but it has now also
been nominated for the 1982 Pacific Northwest
Association’s Young Readers’ Choice Award.

@ The paintings and blockprints of
octogenarian Mennonite artist, Woldemar
Neufeld, are the subject of a September, 1982
book release by Sand Hills Books of St. Jacobs,
Ontario. The book will picture quite a few of
Neufeld’s Ontario scenes and celebrate the
occasion of the 125th anniversary of the city of
Waterloo, Ontario. Neufeld came from Russia
to Canada in 1924.

FE aubisting notes

e A collection of short stories, titled Manitoba
Stories, published in 1981 by Queenston House
Publishing and edited by Joan Paar, includes
three stories with Anabaptist focus by writers
Armin Wiebe, Sandra Birdsell and Molly
Stewart.

@ CMBC Publications, Winnipeg, Manitoba
has published a German book by Abram J.
Loewen entitled Immer weiter nach Osten,
Suedrussland — China — Kanada; Ein
siebzehnjaehriger Leidensweg. The 120-page
paperback details 17 years of the unusual
journey from Russia to Canada via China,
undertaken by a group of Mennonites in the
early 1930’s.

@ Publisher and editor John P. Dyck is the son
of Peter J. Dyck, whose diary excerpts now
appear in the form of a 264-page paperback
titled, Troubles and Triumphs 1914-1924. Here
is a personal view of the Molotschna
Mennonite Colony in the Ukraine, Russia.

@ Van Nostrand Reinhold has published A
Splendid Harvest by Michael Bird and Terry
Kobayashi. It focuses on decorative and folk
arts of the Germanic immigrants to Canada and
includes a section on work by Russian
Mennonites and the Hutterites of Manitoba
and Saskatchewan.

e A sequel to Echoes of Triumph is now
available. The second songbook, Echoes of
Triumph #2, contains 34 new and original songs
written and notated by songwriters and authors
Elizabeth Drudge and Lena Martin, both Old
Order Mennonites of Ontario, Canada.

e Intervarsity Press has published With
Wandering Steps and Slow by Joy Hoffman,
who authored it as part of a Voluntary Service
assignment with the General Conference
Mennonite Church. The book consists of
conversations between a young woman and a
Christian psychologist on the themes of
physicalness and sexual desire.

@ Vincent Harding, a former Mennonite pastor
in Chicago, has written There is a River,
published in 1981 by Harcourt, Brace,
Jovanovich. Harding traces the history of black
people and includes some of the earliest black
writings. Harding sheds light also on the
current status and position of his people in the
Christian churches of America.

@ Christian Light Publications of Harrisonburg,
VA, has published James Lowry’s collection of
stories titled, In the Whale’s Belly. The stories
are retold from the Martyr’s Mirror and
illustrated with engravings from books from
the early Anabaptist period.

e There are still copies available of the
Mennonite Your Way Directory III. Features
include over 2000 North American household
listings, a centerfold map highlighting nearly 50
Anabaptist agencies across Canada and the
U.S., and 105 international contacts in 46
countries. Copies may be purchased for $6.00
at MYW III, Box 1525, Salunga, PA 17538 (PA
residents add 6% sales tax).

mennonite books: in review

The Path of Most Resistance,
Melissa Miller and Phil M. Shenk. Herald
Press, 1982. $7.95

Reviewed by John A. Lapp

There can hardly be a more timely
book during the spring and summer of
1982 when the U.S. Government decides
how to prosecute one million young
American men who have refused to
register with the Selective Service System.

This interestingly written, fast paced
collection of stories describes the
experiences of ten Mennonites who
resisted the draft in some form between
1968 and 1972. Their stories — Duane
Shenk, Doug Baker, Dennis Koehn, Sam
Steiner, Ivan Shantz, Jim Hochstedler,
Dan Lehman, Walter Hochstetler, David
Rensberger, Bruce Yoder — represent a
small proportion of Mennonite resisters
and a very small percentage of Vietnam
era draft resistance ranging from refusal
to report for induction to refusal to
register.

One is impressed by the significant
role of the church and the extent of
serious thought and consultation that

went into the decision-making of each
person. Especially captivating is the
modesty of the individuals involved, their
readiness to do it again but also their
refusal to claim any status or achievement
for their actions.

Individualizing the story of Vietnam
draft resistance makes for fascinating
reading. But this also minimizes the
importance of the total context: the
support network and the electrifying
atmosphere of the movement to say no to
a military empire and create an alternative
politics. While there is considerable
discussion here of the crisis resistance
created for a peace church, this too is
incomplete.

FQ price — $6.35
(Regular price — $7.95)

John A. Lapp, a historian and writer, is
Provost of Goshen (Indiana) College.

Out of Mighty Waters, Lois Landis
Shenk. Herald Press, 1982. 187 pages.

$6.95.

Reviewed by Shirley Kurtz

With remarkable skill and candor,
Lois Landis Shenk recounts her fight for
health and sanity. Her book promises new
awareness to the reader whose sense of
reality is not too badly threatened by
another’s loss of the same.

Shenk’s initial crisis in 1969, while an
MCC TAP-er in Kenya, brought her home
— but not home — to a continued
struggle, in and out of hospitals, up and
down, and under. Her story weaves and
unravels just enough to keep the reader
busy figuring things out — both sense and
time-wise. One keeps wondering: is this
how it seemed then or as it’s perceived
now, in clear-headed retrospect? Getting
lost in a book, in this case, becomes
particularly unnerving.

Also frightening. Here is an ordinary
person, maybe extraordinary, a child of
virtue, an educated woman, wife, mother
and all that; what awful sort of justice is
this that keeps me bobbing above the

waters while my sister is engulfed?

Shenk somehow manages to
articulate personal horrors without losing
her dignity. This may be due to several
aspects: the intellect that remains obvious
throughout, deliberate detail that serves
rather than pads the story, and a
discretion that does not needlessly name
and implicate others.

The uninitiated will be bewildered by
the unconventional cure (also the
conventional treatment). Will her
abandoned “orthodox” psychiatrists read
Shenk’s story (please)? Her book is a
survivor’s reminder that the gift of a
sound mind is precisely that — a gift.

Shirley Kurtz is a freelance writer from
Maytown, Pennsylvania

FQ price — $5.55
(Regular price — $6.95)

AMuslenandaChristionin Dialogue |

Islam and |
Christianity

*

Badru D, Kateregga
David W.Shenk

Islam and Christianity, Badru
Kateregga and David Shenk. Eerdmans,
1982. 182 pages. $7.95.

Reviewed by Jim Juhnke

Badru Kateregga and David Shenk, a
Sunni Muslim and an_ evangelical

Protestant, demonstrate in this book that
it is possible for both an educated,
articulate Muslim and Christian to share
in friendly and respectful dialogue about
the teachings that are most important in
their respective traditions. They do not
gloss over their differences, nor do they
succumb to polemical debate. The
dialogue arose in Africa, where the
authors were team teachers in the
Department of Philosophy and Religious
Studies at Kenyatta University College,
Kenya.

The dialogue is sustained within a
formal and balanced framework. The
authors explain the “witness” of their
traditions with regard to twelve leading
doctrines. Each chapter is followed by a
response from the other side identifying
areas of mutual appreciation, agreement
and disagreement. The book will be most
helpful to Christians and Muslims who
have direct contact with, and knowledge

of, each other’s traditions.

The book’s formal structure
apparently did not allow for personal
testimony or story telling. This reader
yearned for biographical information
about Kateregga, for something which
would tell the personal quality of his faith.
And it was puzzling to see Shenk
apologize for the violence of historic
Christianity without saying that he
personally belongs to a Christian group
that has renounced the sword.

Inter-religious dialogue is an
important frontier. This book has much to
teach us, both about the content and style
of Muslim-Christian dialogue.

Jim Juhnke is a history professor at Bethel
College, North Newton, Kansas, and writer of
one of the volumes in the Mennonite
Experience in America project.

FQ price — $6.35
(Regular price — $7.95)

Festival Quarterly 23

mennonite books: in review

Perils of Professionalism, Donald
B. Kraybill and Phyllis Pellman Good,
editors. Herald Press, 1982. 240 pages.
$9.95.

Reviewed by Donald E. Showalter

This collection of essays is a
worthwhile book dealing with an
important subject frequently ignored or

overlooked by the institutions where
students train to become professionals.
This ambitious project develops slowly; in
fact, begins with a rather negative, almost
apologetic description of the subject.
However, as one reads the Augsburger
essay it becomes evident that it is the
professional who will find the book
disturbing, penetrating and hard to put
down until completed.

The topics considered and discussed
are those with which Mennonite
professionals struggle, search and often
find no answers. Kaufman, Miller and
Koontz work at Biblical discipleship,
community, and a theology of life that
pound at the _ professional’s very
existence.

With the increasing emphasis on
quantifying professional experience, it is
fortunate to have a book which advances
the professional’s quest for those best
things in life which still refuse to be
quantified.

This book should be required for
those who are contemplating a
professional career for it puts into focus
several reasons for professional training:
Does the profession sought promote the
good of the human community and will
the skills attained improve the quality of
humanity?

Perhaps a sequel to this book will
develop the ethics of professionalism as
identified in the tension between the
Western concept of individualism and the
Eastern concept of interdependence
where power, whether social, political or
economic, is correctly presumed
“unethical.” Or, and | anticipate this to be
quite possible, will | find that thesis
is present as | reread Perils of
Professionalism!

Donald E. Showalter, Broadway, Virginia, is an
attorney.

FQ price — $7.95
(Regular price — $9.95)

| LANGUAGE
CANAAN

The Language of Canaan and
the Grammar of Feminism,

Vernard Eller, Eerdmans, 1982. 64 pages.
$3.95.

Reviewed by Katie Funk Wiebe

This small book by an important
writer works hard at eradicating what he
terms a trivial matter: sexist language. He
raises his little club high: to move God’s
language beyond gender, to say God has
feminine qualities as well as masculine
ones, to change our pronoun system or
the use of generic terms, has profound
implications for theology, authority of
Scripture and our worldview.

The Gospel requires Canaan
masculine language, for it models how
the human race is feminine in relation to
the masculinity of God, how all humans
are feminine in relation to one another,
and how the church is feminine in
relation to Christ, the bridegroom. We
should not, therefore, expect language to
accommodate itself to contemporary
forms of thought.

His style is sprightly and coaxing.
And, he argues, usage like “everyone
should do their part” is just plain wrong.

Wrong? Language is never right or
wrong, only inappropriate to the
occasion. Language is always changing.
Further, words do not have meaning in
themselves; they gain meaning from the
use to which they are put. When users of
language no longer see “man” and “he”
as generic and associate such terms with
essentially male roles and _ activity,
language should change, for language
exists to serve the people, not vice versa.

| agree with Eller that changing our
language will change how we think, act
and minister — but | hope the changes
will allow women the privilege of being
part of that “we.”

Katie Funk Wiebe is an author and English
professor at Tabor College, Hillsboro, Kansas.

FQ price — $3.15
(Regular price — $3.95)

Czars, Soviets and Mennonites,
John B. Toews. Faith and Life Press, 1982.
214 pages. $10.95.

Reviewed by David J. Smucker

John B. Toews surveys the Russian
Mennonite experience, especially its

24 May, June, July, 1982

social and political dimensions. Carefully
using details, the historian interprets the
vibrant and prosperous culture which
developed on the Ukrainian steppes in
the nineteenth century and suffered
brutal dismemberment in the twentieth.
Who made communal decisions and
negotiated with the state? Was there
room for personal religious commitment?
How did the Dutch and/or German
identity emerge within Russian culture?
What were pacifist responses to czarist
and communist demands?

At first | wanted more eloquence,
more stylistic passion to match the
incredible drama, but soon the bold facts
caught me: the inspiring array of medical
and welfare institutions sustained by
Mennonites; former pacifists in
Selbstschutz (armed self-defense)
groups; 22,000 rubles raised for famine
relief in three months during WW |; 100
raped women and girls in the Chortitza

colony treated for syphilis in 1920;
agricultural chaos bringing typhus,
diptheria and scarlet fever; and
Mennonites welcoming German soldiers
as liberators in 1918 and 1941.

This book will spawn more
penetrating evaluations primarily
because the theological distinctiveness of
Anabaptism provides the author’s
interpretive wedge. It will be very helpful
to the stream of Swiss/South German
Mennonites who want to understand the
immediate past of their Dutch/Prussian/
Russian brothers and sisters — children of
a diaspora fueled by events this book
describes.

David J. Smucker is the genealogist at the
Lancaster (PA) Mennonite Historical Society.

FQ price — $8.75
(Regular price — $10.95)

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ADIAUAS SUAGIWOSANS by

mennonite books: in review

Single Voices, Imo Jeanne Yoder and
Bruce Yoder, editors. Herald Press, 1982.
128 pages. $6.95.

Reviewed by Bruce Leichty

If one single judgment must be made
on the seven essays which comprise
Single Voices (already an impossible task)
that judgment must be: useful but
disappointing. This particular book seems
to include too little about the lives and
feelings of single people as they are, and
too much about how the essayists think
they should or could be.

One senses throughout Single Voices
a tension between “‘singleness is
beautiful” and an acknowledgment that it
is to be incomplete, to be lonely.

Several essays maintain rightly that
singleness is not a personal defect, but
they provide little consolation for those
singles who are often reminded that they
are simply unattractive — either
physically or socially. One also wishes for
a more insightful handling of such
problems as alienation, mobility, self-
consciousness, and self-reliance, which
leave another group of singles wondering

why they are alone. Some single readers
may find inadequate help with their real
struggles, particularly in the area of what
to do with genital sexual drives.

Of course, one book cannot do it all.
This title with its study questions may
succeed in attracting more congre-
gational attention to its issue (its avowed
intent) where it fails to break new ground
with single readers themselves.

Essayists are: Dorothy Gish, Imo
Jeanne Yoder, Mel Lehman, Lois Janzen,
Martha Smith Good, Herta Funk and
Bruce Yoder.

Bruce Leichty, recently married, lives in
Chicago and works in editing and housing
management.

FQ price — $5.55
(Regular price — $6.95)

Exodus to Deuteronomy, God

Rescues His People, retold by Eve
B. MacMaster. Herald Press, 1982. 176
pages. $5.95.

Reviewed by
Margaret Loewen Reimer

The Electronic Giant, stewart M.
Hoover. Brethren Press, 1982. 171 pages.
$6.95.

Reviewed by Alice W. Lapp

Dissatisfied with children’s Bible
stories, Eve MacMaster decided to write
her own books which would include
more of the Bible and remain closer to it.
This book is the second in the series.

Is MacMaster’s version sufficiently
different to warrant the massive effort?
The unique contribution of this volume is
her effort to include details of Israelite
cultic life as put forth in Leviticus and
Numbers. Most of the other material is
found in similar form elsewhere.

MacMaster’s major problem _ is
establishing a suitable tone and syntax for
8-12-year-olds. Rendering majestic
religious rhetoric into colloquial
language often strips it of various layers of
meaning or renders it merely mundane.
That is a problem in this work.

Two obvious examples: After nine
plagues have decimated Egypt, Pharaoh
screams at Moses to “Get out of my
sight!”” The valiant man of God replies:

The electronic age is upon us and will
continue to shape our lives whether we
like it or not. Telephones, calculators,
automatic banking, television and
computers of all kinds are regulating our
daily existence. Stewart Hoover, a radio
and TV producer, writer and lecturer on
mass communications is one of the
founders of Television Awareness
Training and here spells out the ethical
implications of the medium and _ its
message. He discusses the convergent
technologies of both cable and
broadband electronics and what their
future is in the home and in the church.

He discusses at length the eight myths
about TV which need to be dispelled.
Myth 1: It is free. Myth 2: It is in the
entertainment business. Myth 3: It isn’t
watched that much. Myth 4: The ratings
are not accurate. Myth 5: There are
altruistic sponsors. Myth 6: It is a “mirror”
of society. Myth 7: The FCC regulates

“Whatever you say. That’s fine with me!”
(One is tempted to giggle.) The Moabites
who live in terror of Israelite attack are
described as “‘‘feeling sick because they
were so afraid of the Israelites.”

One other problem: Translating
“Jahweh”’ as “‘the Lord” strikes me as an
unfortunate choice for children. “Lord of
Israel” or even “Jehovah” might have
communicated more precisely.

Much as | admire MacMaster’s
efforts, | find more stylized versions more
satisfying for reading to my children.

Margaret Loewen Reimer, Waterloo,
Ontario, is Associate editor of the Mennonite
Reporter.

FQ price — $4.75
(Regular price — $5.95)

broadcasting in the “Public Interest.”
Myth 8: When the new technologies are
in place broadcasting will go out of
existence.

Hoover points out that the cable
channels are not monitored by the FCC.
He also notes that the electronic church is
not accountable to anyone. Even the news
is tilted to be entertainment for the mass
taste, maximizing the audience and
minimizing the diversity from station to
station.

The thoughtful critic of the electronic
age will be stimulated to action by the
facts and speculations of this critique of
the Telecommunications Revolution.

Alice W. Lapp, Goshen, Indiana, is an
English teacher and active as a church and
community volunteer.

FQ price — $5.55
(Regular price — $6.95)

Festival Quarterly 27

Christian Art — Is It Possible?

This past winter | visited two friends, a
husband and wife, both sculptors. We had
been close during our undergraduate and
graduate years andshared many interests,
especially a desire to be involved in the art
of our time. During the nine or ten years
since we last met, | had become a
Christian.

It was gratifying to reanimate a
suspended relationship. | was delighted
to find new mutual perceptions and an
affection for past experiences. Gradually
we turned to the subject of my recent
work, and | spoke of my desire to make
sculpture as a Christian. A moment of
diverted eyes and oddly loud small noises
passed. Then a chuckle punctuated a,
“Well, if you want to be like Fra
Angelico. ..” (an artist/monk of the Italian
Renaissance, so named because of his
simple faith and renunciation of worldly
pleasures). This was followed by their
genuine concern that any attempt to
apply my private religious views to art
would amount to self-delusion.
“Certainly Christianity has nothing to say
to the practice of the visual arts, and by
extension, to the ideas and problems of
our times!”

This reaction is not at all uncommon
outside of the evangelical subculture, and
not really surprising. Religion is popularly
conceived of as limited to the private,
subjective areas ot faith and personal
morality. Often the evangelical Church
has, more through omission than direct
teaching, given the impression that the
Christian life is lived largely in the area of
personal ethics. One becomes a Christian
and no longer steals his employer’s
pencils or time.

Also, though it may make us
uncomfortable, Christianity has had
precious little to say within the visual arts
for the last two hundred years. | believe it
is an accepted historical fact that the ideas
shaping the visual arts of the 19th and 20th
centuries have been largely foreign to a
Biblical world view.

So what is a Biblical world view?
Perhaps a small concrete example will
help. My wife Cathy is a figurative painter.
In the last ten years there has been a
resurgence of realist painting in the art
world, including alot of painting based on
the human figure. Much current
figurative painting is a detached and
impersonal recording of the figure so that
it becomes a form, no different from the
table next to it. The artist deliberately
ignores the presence of personality, or
“humanness.”

Cathy has not set out to be stylistically
different from contemporary painting,

28 May, June, July, 1982

but she is interested in the personality and
intrapersonal relationships of the people

she paints. She paints out of her
experiences of the people, an idea
embedded in Biblical understanding

about who a person is.

I’m not saying that the fact that Cathy
is a Christian has to be known to appreci-
ate her work. But the fact that she knows
something about the uniqueness of
persons contributes to the way she
structures a painting.

Please note my emphasis on
experience. | am not suggesting that there
is a list of characteristics to certify that an
art object is “Christian.”” Museums are full
of technically proficient but emotively
dead art objects.

| believe that as our experience is
energized by our knowledge, we begin to
see the dovetailing of creed and action.
It’s really no different in art, because art is
in some sense a visible record of invisible
dynamics — personal or cultural. Quite
simply, there is a good and necessary
relationship between what someone
believes, and what they make.

One of the real challenges of
Christian education is to help students
experience life in an intimately and
personally Christian sense. If there is an
emphasis only on what we know orsay, all
sorts of abnormalities result.

Perhaps | have been frustratingly
tentative. | have identified the locus of
importance not in the object, but in the
perspective and perceptions of the
maker. | have suggested that those
perspectives and perceptions can be
informed by a Biblical understanding. |
have said nothing about what Christians
who are artists should deal with in their art
because | don’t think the Bible teaches us
that some areas of life are more sacred
than others.

Also art is tied to its own historical
moment. Art does not embody eternal
absolutes. Each culture and time period
has its own problems and opportunities. It
is helpful to look to the past to see how
Christians of other eras applied their
understanding to their own situations.
Such work — | believe Rembrandt is a
good example — gives me confidence
that it is possible to think in terms of a
Christian sensibility in art today. But it
would be a real mistake to see the return
to the past as an answer for today.

The return to the past is attractive to
many people because they associate the
past with realism. The uncomfortable,
untidy present has fathered abstraction
and other equally perplexing art forms. It
is understandable that one would want to

by Ted Prescott

see the real, the comprehensible, as more
amenable to Christianity, and the
confusing and disturbing as more hostile
to the Faith. Indeed in some instances this
may be the case, but in this very thorny
area I’d like to raise two points.

The first is rather simple. If we go far
enough back into history we find art,
sponsored by the Church, which appears
very abstract. The presence of such work
should make us pause before we reject art
that we do not immediately grasp.

The second point deals with the more
complex issues of transforming symbols
and objects from one accepted
meaningful framework to another. We
don’t find ourselves in pure, fixed
situations, and we often have to adapt
things for our special needs.

An_ illustration of this is the
development of the earliest church
architecture. When the Church became
an officially sanctioned institution in
Rome, it needed buildings suitable for
large-scale public worship. The basic
model for the church was the Roman
basilica, or public forum. But this was
synthesized with elements of temples and
private houses to make a_ structure
uniquely suited to the need of the
Church. Here we have the beginnings of
an architectural vocabularly that stretches
down to our own church buildings today.

Art history abounds with examples of
people transforming the accepted
meaning of things. Naturally this can work
both ways, and specifically Christian
symbols can lose almost all uniquely
Christian content. But in my opinion this
means that there is at least the possibility
of using any visual vocabulary, regardless
of its origin or current usage. Ultimately,
the capacity to allow our work to be
affected by our confession rests notin the
cleverness of the individual, but in the
nature of God’s salvation.

As Christians we do not have a
stranglehold on the truth, but we do
know things about man and God, true in
the very deepest sense, that should
structure the way we go about our work.
Our redemption can touch the world
around us. If we who are artists choose to
work out our dreams and drudgeries
before God, someday we may see some
very interesting art. (hy

Ted Prescott is professor of art at
Messiah College, Grantham, Pennsylvania.
“Christian Art” is condensed from a longer
presentation he made while on the faculty at
Roberts Wesleyan University.

Herald Press:

Fun, Help, and Inspiration
for the Entire Family

For Children:

God’s Family

Eve MacMaster’s first
volume in the new Herald Press
children’s Story Bible Series.
Book 1 retells Genesis, the story
of how God made everything
and what happened next. For

people 8 to 80.
Paper $5.95, in Canada $7.15

Strawberry

Mountain

Birdie Etchison’s novel for
8-to-12-year-olds of a foster
child, a haunted house, a
mysterious old man, and
maintaining ohe’s faith and
principles in the face of

adversity.
Paper $3.25, in Canada $3.90

Gina In-Between
Dorothy Hamilton’s 27th
children’s book for 9-to-14-year-
olds tells of a girl who has lost
her father in an auto accident
and how she and her brother
come to accept the loss of a

parent.
Paper $3.25, in Canada $3.90

For Adults:

God’s Managers

Ray and Lillian Bair provide
motivation and complete
instructions for Christians to
create budgets and to keep
accurate financial records.
Practical help on practicing
good stewardship.

Paper $2.95, in Canada $3.55

The Price of Missing
Life

Simon Schrock writes that
life is worth living and that life at
its best includes a commitment
to the lordship of Jesus Christ.
He sincerely believes that to
miss the Christian life, and
consequently heaven, is a high
price to pay.

Paper $2.95, in Canada $3.55

In Favor of Growing
Older

Tilman R. Smith’s
guidelines and practical
suggestions for planning your
retirement career. Maturing
should mean continued growth
and joyful living.

Paper $8.95, in Canada $10.75

Preacher of the
People

Sanford G. Shetler’s
biography of the well-known
Mennonite preacher, evangelist,
and educator, S. G. Shetler
(1871-1942).

Paper $13.95, in Canada
$16.75

Hardcover $16.95,

in Canada $20.35

Something
Meaningful for God
C.J. Dyck edited this
collection of stories of 15
individuals and couples who
have served “in the name of
Christ” through MCC at home
and around the world.

Paper $7.95, in Canada $9.55

Four Earthen

Vessels

Urie A. Bender’s memorial to
the contributions of Oscar
Burkholder, Samuel F.
Coffman, Clayton Derstine, and
Jesse D. Martin to the
Mennonite Church, especially
through their service to the
Ontario Mennonite Bible
School.

Paper $7.95, in Canada $9.55
Hardcover $10.95,

in Canada $13.15

Identity and Faith:
Youth in a Believers’
Church

Maurice Martin explores the
place of youth in the life of the
church as well as related
concerns of conversion and
church membership. He traces
how youth mature and gain the
capability of making a
“conscious decision” of lifelong
commitment to Christ and the
church.

Paper $3.95, in Canada $4.75

Herald Press

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616 Walnut Avenue
Scottdale, PA 15683

Dept. FQ

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117 King Street West
Kitchener, ON N2G 4M5

Joy in Harvest

Mission Message in Music
by Laban Miller.

Rosedale Mennonite Missions

WHEN VISITING HISTORIC LANCASTER
COUNTY .. . enjoy breakfast in our Pantry,
and lunch and dinner at one of the many
famous nearby restaurants. Tours leave twice
daily .. . and you'll return to your
immaculately clean room, even overlooking the
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Lancaster on Rt. 896, between 30 and 340.
For reservations, write or call 717/299-0931

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Brunzema Organs Inc.
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Post Office Box 219
Fergus, Ontario Canada
N1iM 2W8

(519) 843-5450

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30 May, June, July, 1982

Lions’

by Peter J. Dyck

He was only 12 and did _ not
understand everything grown-ups were
saying. But he understood enough to
know that what the preacher was talking
about this morning had nothing to do
with his experiences during the week.

While Rev. Klassen continued his
sermon about some Old Testament
character named Joel, Hans followed his
own thoughts. Faintly he heard the
minister say that an ancient country had
once been invaded by an enemy
“powerful and without number” and that
their “‘teeth are lions’ teeth,” but he
tuned him out thinking that there were no

lions in Paraguay. If it had in fact, been

The entire
garden, growing
and green an hour
ago, NOW was a
patch of black
earth.

lions that had come to their community

last Wednesday, they might have dealt
with them more effectively than with
what did come.

He had been in school when the
commotion began. People outside were
talking in loud voices, some were
shouting and running. Others just stood
there looking up. Presently it got quite
dark, as if the sun were setting. The
teacher went outside and minutes later
came back saying, “Children, come
outside, come quickly, everybody.” Hans
had stood there looking up, not
understanding what he was looking at.
Whatever it was, it seemed to be moving,
all in one direction. And then they also
heard it. It was unlike anything they had
heard before, something like the wind in
the trees, and yet different. Suddenly that
mass of moving and whirring “cloud”
began to drop down to the earth. As Hans
and the others stared they noticed that
every square foot of earth was alive with
millions of crawling things. ‘Grass-
hoppers,” the teacher said in a hoarse
whisper, and Hans noticed that he had
turned pale.

Suddenly the air was pierced by a
shout, “Drive them away, chase them up
again.” Hans and the others began to yell
and jump up and down on the thick
carpet of grasshoppers. Someone had a

Teeth in Paraguay

broom and was sweeping violently.
Others came out of their houses with pans
and pails, banging them and making a
terrible racket. Some whistled and flailed
about with branches they tore off trees. It
was all completely useless.

An hour later when the sweeping and
beating had stopped and everyone was
hoarse from shouting, the grasshoppers
were still there, munching green leaves
and devouring everything in their path.
The entire garden, growing and green an
hour ago, now was a patch of black earth.
Flowers and grass had disappeared as if
they had never been there. The trees
stood suddenly transformed from
summer’s foliage to the barrenness of
winter. Young trees were stripped naked,
white and unreal.

Hans remembered seeing a woman
of the village weeping. He heard the
muffled voices of grown-ups saying that
all was lost, there would be no crop this
year. Some talked about the grasshoppers
laying eggs that would hatch; then
another plague as bad or worse than this
one would hit them.

Slowly Hans awoke from his reverie.
The preacher was still reading from Joel,
“What the cutting locust left, the
swarming locust has eaten. What the
swarming locust left, the hopping locust
has eaten, and what the hopping locust
left the destroying locust has eaten.”

Suddenly Hans was wide awake. The
enemy, “powerful and without number,”
and having “lions’ teeth’ were the
grasshoppers.

Hans shuddered as he remembered
last Wednesday afternoon. And what
would they eat if they had no crops and
garden and field?

The thought of food brought a simle
to Hans’ face. He remembered the
chickens last Wednesday, and that he had
never seen chickens gorge themselves on
grasshoppers like that before. They were
so full they just sat
down tilting their
heads watching the
grasshoppers ,_ but
unable to eat even
one more.

Peter Dyck has spent a rich life shuttling
refugees to new homelands, overseeing relief
programs, and telling wise and witty stories. At
home in Akron, Pennsylvania, he works in
Constituency Relations for Mennonite Central
Committee.

Beating the Souvenir

Racket

“Tourist Trap!” said the disgruntled
voice of atraveler at my elbow as we stood
surrounded by decaled knickknacks of
porcelain, plaster, glass, metal, wood, wax
and papier-maché in more sizes, shapes
and images than | could ever have
thought of. | mentally agreed.

After driving Highway 80 for miles
and miles, our family of four had stopped
at a well-advertised drug store on our trip
home from the Bad Lands. A multitude of
other travelers must have also stopped
there for the sprawling gift shop was
crowded with customers and the sale of
souvenirs seemed brisk.

Gift shops in our country sell some
two billion dollars worth of souvenirs
every year.

Our family of four is agreed upon

boycotting gift shop souvenir buying. It

The tart plum
jelly we served for
Thanksgiving dinner
last year was made
the morning after
Our vacation was
over.

was a democratic family decision that

vacation memories should be recalled in
other ways than by the sight of a cluster of
decaled mementos.

Natural products, symbolic of the
specific spot visited or territory toured,
have become a favorite choice. For
instance, the pine cones we collected
under evergreens in the grandparents’
lowa windbreak, the Black Hills of South
Dakota and the Redlands of California
now are composed into a traditional
holiday cone wreath for our front door.

Each time the wreath is unpacked and
hung, achorus of “Remember when. .. I’Il
never forget. . .”’ comes from family
members.

Oyster shells in a smelly heap near
Galveston Bay came home, after cleaning
in the motel sink, to be used as soap dishes
in our land-locked Midwest home. The
memory of our 16-year-old donning a wet
suit and waterskiing on Houston Bay on
New Year’s Day comes to mind nearly
every time | reach for the soap in its
seashell holder.

by Irene S. Reynolds

Memories of a family trip to the
Ozarks flooded my mind often one winter
after | had collected weeds from that
area’s scenic roadside and used the
assortment in the fall bouquet on the
fireplace hearth until spring.

The tart plum jelly we served for
Thanksgiving dinner last year was made
the morning after our vacation was over.
While driving a scenic route through
Nebraska, we stopped to pick the wild
sandhill plums that were ripening
abundantly in a roadside thicket. Another
time we discovered clusters of
elderberries hanging on bushes beside
the highway. These, as well as
blackberries picked in Aunt Reath’s
Ozark pastureland, went into pies for a
neighborhood dessert party in February.

One year we discovered persimmons
in abundance in Great Uncle Tom’s
southeast Kansas cow pasture. The
children’s first persimmon tree coincided
with their first coon hunt. Each time a loaf
of persimmon nut bread was served, that
coon hunt was relived, complete with
mimicking of the hound dogs as they
treed the coon!

The yucca that blooms beside our
front door was a _ “do-it-yourself”
landscaping effort. While visiting a long-
time friend | remarked upon the yucca
growing wild in their High Plains
grasslands. Together we dug one up, with
as long a root as we could manage, and
now | appreciate both the transplanted
yucca and our years of friendship when |
enjoy its blossoms.

Each year when we start the family
discussions of vacation plans someone
will speculate about what we may be
bringing home to share this time.

We will continue to deviate from the
direct thoroughfare to allow usto keep an
eye out for cattails, milkweed pods or
bittersweet ready for harvesting and
drying, or in order to stop at a
remembered roadside market.

Such souvenirs as bittersweet wreaths
and crabapple jelly or cranberry conserve
spark remembrance of an_ enjoyed
vacation just as well as glazed ash trays or
duck-billed memo holders. The family’s
experience in harvesting or selecting such
practical souvenirs adds to the best of
vacation memories.

Irene Reynolds, Lawrence, Kansas, is a
partner with her husband in an industrial
machine shop and a freelance writer for
several church, farming, and regional
magazines.

it naive and —

Festival Quarterly

31

best-selling books: in review

A Few Minutes with Andy

Rooney, Andrew A. Rooney.
Atheneum, 1982. 245 pages. $12.95.

Whiney and wistful Andy Rooney is a
good mix of comedian, griper, and
prophet. His audience is 20th century
Americans who could do with some
reflecting on their emotional and spiritual
whereabouts.

Rooney gets at truth by watching the
little details of our lives. Some of his

Photo by Irving Haberman

Andrew A. Rooney

observations hit squarely on tender spots
— like his thinking about spare rooms in
old houses; the “production” rather than
“building” of new houses; the replace-
ment of porches with garage doors.
Different people will connect at
different places in this collection of short
meanderings. He tackles banks and Little
League (maybe it was really created to
give dads a chance to be managers); gives

a respectful analysis of New Yorkers;
suggests that the draft be limited to
cigarette smokers, “because....well, you
know” and that the federal government
move to Kansas, if for no other reason
than to houseclean and throw half the
junk away.

Rooney holds up well in his switch
from TV to print. Perhaps having heard
and seen him makes reading him even
funnier. The chapters, with the exception
of two or three, are short and don’t try too
much. His contribution to either
American humor or wisdom (maybe
both?) is his childlike common-
sense logic. It’s a little puckish, but knee-

slapping right.

Marco Polo, If You Can, William F.
Buckley, Doubleday, 1982. 231 pages.
$13.95.

William Buckley’s novels are
developing a style of their own. Blackford
Oakes, a handsome young American who
works for the C.I.A. is the sometimes
reluctant hero. The setting is the whole
world, of course.

What places Buckley’s intrigues apart
from your average espionage thriller is his
wit, his eye for detail, sometimes ironic,
and the intimate feeling one gets about
actual historical characters who blend
with the fictional ones.

Nikita Khrushchev, visiting late at

night at Camp David with President
Eisenhower during the Russian leader’s
visit to America, drunkenly quotes from
the minutes of Eisenhower’s National
Security Council. Is it a reckless slip or a
set-up? How did Khrushchev ever get
hold of NSC minutes? Who’s the spy?
The story unfolds as the search for the
mole spreads. Blackford Oakes leads the
charge, egged on by Rufus his leader,
caught between two women. And so on.
It turns out to be a delightful dessert.

Photo by Jan Lukas

William F. Buckley, Jr.

Hardly a main course. But one feels a
deeper sense of history and_ the
ideological battle of the period.

One might suspect that Buckley will
clearly take sides in this struggle of ideas.
But the novelist wins out over the
ideologue. Probably because Blackford
Oakes is the recreation for Buckley’s
witty, combative mind. Hardly a main
course.

ookbooks with Personality -

32 May, June, July, 1982

ye gnsytva®

ya Dat

quarterly film ratings :

A Little Sex — Disappointing attempt by
M.T.M. Productions to go theatrical.
It’s a television movie on the big
screen. Cutesy story about a young
man trying to remain faithful to his
wife. (3)

The Amateur — A young man sees his girl-
friend killed by terrorists and is drawn
into the world of international
espionage. Strong performances by
John Savage, Christopher Plummer,
and Marthe Keller. Graphic. (6)

Cat People — Animal and human themes
tense this frightening, gory, sexual
picture. Thoughtful, too, with
allegories aplenty. A woman
becomes a black leopard when she
makes love. (4)

The Chosen — Highly recommended for
all Mennonites who attend movies.
Few films measure up to the book.
But as a film in itself, it is marvelous.
Two Jewish boys become friends at
the close of World War II — one the
son of a Hassidic rabbi, the other the
son of an intellectual and Zionist.
Two fathers and two sons struggling
to preserve and translate the
preciousness of the faith in life.
Superb acting by Maximillian Schell,
Rod Steiger, Robby Benson. (9)

Deathtrap — A thriller about a burnt-out
playwright and a young creative one,
played by Michael Caine and
Christopher Reeve. Could have been
truly delicious and witty, but
becomes stagey and contrived in the

hands of Sidney Lumet. (6)

Diner — A marvelously well-written and
splendidly acted picture about
growing up in Baltimore in 1959. Full
of pop music, infantile pranks and
satiric wit, this story of several
buddies facing life, learning about
sex and marriage, and realizing the
limits of their small lives is both
touching and profound. (8)

Four Friends — Arthur Penn’s story of
three young men and their girlfriend,
facing up to life with all its poetic
harmonies, cruelties, and absurdities.
An intriguing idea about the
formation of friendships, but an
emotional letdown. (5)

Missing — A conservative businessman,
(Jack Lemmon) searches for his lost
son inaSouth American country after
a military takeover. Obviously the
director has political motives, yet the
picture becomes engrossing. Sissy
Spacek as the lost son’s wife is tops,
quarreling with Lemmon as they
search. (7)

My Dinner with Andre — If you like bull
sessions and interesting stories, you
may find this table conversation
between a playwright-actor and an
avant-garde theater director your
cup of tea. Certainly one of the finest
films in years which consists of one
conversation. A_ bit boring for
average theatergoers. (6)

Partners — Two cops, one heterosexual
and one homosexual, are assigned to

solve the murder of a homosexual.
Has some poignant moments,
especially illustrating the prejudices
homosexuals suffer. (4)

Porky’s — A bawdy, mindless, adolescent
romp of guys and girls in a South
Florida high school, eager to learn
about sex and full of juvenile
pranks. (2)

Quest for Fire — Original. A very different
sort of film, exploring life on earth
80,000 years ago, caught in the beauty
and brutality of evolutionary change.
Clever, awesome, and exciting. (6)

Richard Pryor Live on the Sunset Strip —
One of America’s funniest comics in
his first concert after personal
tragedy. Very funny, but the foul-
mouthed delivery clutters the humor
unnecessarily. (4)

Some Kind of Hero — Richard Pryor stars
in this story of a Vietnam veteran who
returns to a difficult life. Pryor is so
superb at both humor and _ pathos
that the director can’t decide how to
guide him. (6)

Victor/Victoria — A study of sex roles in
Depression Paris. Julie Andrews stars
as a woman reaching for stardom
who poses as a male transvestite. In
Spite of the floozy, frantic pace,
Andrews, James Garner, and Robert
Preston hand in strong per-
formances. (5)

Films are rated from an adult FQ perspective on

a scale from 1 through 9, based on their

sensitivity, integrity, and technique.

And Scrumptious Good Food

Pennsylvania Dutch
Cookbooks

These beautiful, practical
collections of old recipes, newly
tested and tasted, will fill your
table with good hearty food.
From the kitchens of Amish and
Mennonite cooks. Collected
and edited by Phyllis Pell man
Good and Rachel Thomas
Pellman, sisters-in-law.

from Amish and Mennonite kitdiens_...

sont

|
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|
=

32 pages each, $1.95 (U.S.)

we \ %
jot as)

41
at Al

Repegiresia Dutch Conhorks Gooas Books

Main Street, Intercourse, PA 17534

Festival Quarterly 33

34

Lisedl cin ik Ah

to educate / to challenge / to live by

Suspense story
for young people:

SARAS TREK

The book is full of excitement. The underly-
ing theme is the faithfulness of God.

Sara is ten. She and a friend are separated
from their Mennonite families as they flee from
Russia to Germany during World War II.

The girls experience hunger, cold and bomb-
ing raids before they are united with their par-
ents. Together again, the families are in constant
fear of the Russians, near starvation, and Sara
faces ridicule at school because she is ‘‘different’’
—a refugee.

Life gets better for Sara and her family when
a care Organization arrives with food and estab-
lishes camps.

The story moves along quickly and makes en-
joyable reading for youth and adults.

BASED ON FACT...

Mennonite history comes
alive in these pages.

. by Florence Schloneger

ISBN 0-87303-071-0

Paperback
108 pages...

Faith and Life Press

Box 347, Newton, KS 67114 eo

May, June, July, 1982

54.95 (U.S.)

Preacher Season

by Katie Funk Wiebe

Summer is the time when conferences and conventions
flourish like dandelions. Preachers look forward to them, for
they give them a chance to flourish, too. One young preacher
went to Assembly for his first time. While there he noted that
different preachers were being asked to preach each day. He
became uneasy for fear he would be asked to preach; his
sermon notes were all at home. An older minister in whom he
confided his fears and who knew the inner workings of
Assembly comforted him: “You don’t need to fear being called
upon to preach here; they would not even let you young
preachers pray in secret around here.”

A veteran press gallery scribe was on his way via Air Canada
to the national Liberal Party convention in Winnipeg. He was
reflecting the gathering would bea boring waste of time, when
his seatmate struck up a conversation. “You're going to the
convention?” the man asked. The journalist nodded his
affirmation.

“It’s going to be exciting,” the passenger bubbled. “‘It will
certainly be an important three days. I’ve been working three
weeks, 18 hours a day preparing for this convention. My wife is
about ready to divorce me.”

“What are you talking about?” the newsman finally
demanded, whose past experience told him the convention
would be dull and mean little to the Liberal party.

“We are, are we not, talking about the Mennonite
Brethren convention?” — Sean Finley in Woodstock-Ingersoll
Sentinel Review

Friesen and Yoder, two preachers, were walking together
down a muddy road. A heavy rain was falling. Coming around a
bend, they met a lovely young woman in a stunning outfit,
unable to cross the flooded intersection. “Come on, miss,” said
Friesen. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.
Yoder did not speak again until much later when they reached
the inn. Then he could no longer restrain himself. “We
preachers don’t go near females,” he told Friesen, “especially
not young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do
that?” “Yoder,” said Friesen, “‘l left the girl there. Are you still
carrying her?”

The evangelist was disappointed with the attendance at
the revival services, the front seats being empty night after
night. “I’ve heard many people say that they were present in
spirit, but not present in body. | suppose
these front seats are reserved for those
members whose spirits are here while
their bodies are at home,” he said. “The
only thing | can’t understand about that
is that normally when the body Spirit
are separated, the body is dead.”

Katie Funk Wiebe is a writer of many books and columns, and an
English teacher at Tabor College.

The editors invite you to submit humorous stories and anecdotes
that you've experienced or heard. We are not interested in stock jokes —
we want human interest stories with a humorous Mennonite twist. Keep
your submission to no more than 100 words and send them to Katie Funk
Wiebe, Tabor College, Hillsboro, KS 67063. She will give credit to
anecdotes she selects.

comment

The First Step to the Cemetery ., cesses seins

Each quarter Festival Quarterly
features speeches or essays from the
larger world which because of their
subject, unusual sensitivity, or wisdom are
of interest to our readers.

The prevailing vision of the good life
in America has for some time included
early retirement. Numerous voices speak
in its behalf, from insurance companies to
unions to government agencies. Quit
while you’re ahead, still healthy and
young enough to enjoy a generous spread
of the sunset years. Not only should you
enjoy the fruit of your labors in this most
bountiful of countries, say the many
voices, but you should also give the young
folk their chance to move up by exiting
gracefully. There are, you are told,
numerous benefits — tax, medical,
recreational, psychological. It is not only
foolish to overlook the opportunity; it is
downright un-American. So why not do
it? Why not? Because it will probably be
the worst decision you have ever made.
Here’s why.

To begin, it is an immediate, and
usually irrevocable, step into second-class
citizenship. Once retired, you are one
with blacks, Hispanics, the handicapped,
homosexuals, jailbirds, the insane, the
retarded, children and women: America’s
Third World hordes. America doesn’t like
old people, and retired people are old
people, whether they are 45, 55 or 65. Old
people clutter up the landscape. Their
families don’t want them. Their
communities don’t want them. They area
nightmare vision of everyone’s future.
They are of interest mainly to doctors and
hospitals, real-estate brokers and travel
agents — but not as people, rather as
bodies from whom some final payments
can still be exacted.

In America you are primarily valued
not for your good deeds or your good
character. You are valued for the money
you command. The more money you
have, the better you are treated by
everyone from your local cop to your
congressman. If you doubt this, go to any
store or social agency. Go, for example, to
any urban clinic and see what it is like to
be old, sick and poor. There is a living hell.
You get neither kindness nor respect nor
service. To voluntarily take a step toward
that condition you have to be either blind
or mad. For as your ability to command
money decreases, so too does your
stature as ahuman being. To doctors, you
are less important than the forms they
must process to get money for their

services. To landlords, you are a barrier to
higher rents. Small wonder that retirees
band together in colonies, in clubs,
homes and hospitals. They want to
belong, and they can doso only with their
own kind. Everywhere else, their money
will be taken, but they will be shut out.

What are these colonies like? To be
sure, just as there are decent people who
respect old people, so too there are
homes, hospitals and communities that
are genuinely humanitarian, that perform
genuine functions. But how many? Our
public knowledge of old-age homes is
that they are less clean and only slightly
less efficient than slaughterhouses, dismal
halfway houses to the grave: turnover is
profit.

In some societies where people live
to be very old, it is observable that they,
whatever their age, have useful, needed

Retirement ts an
immediate, usually
irrevocable, descent
into second-class
citizenship.

work to perform. In America, activities for
old people are manufactured. People get
degrees in how to occupy old people with
busy work. But this has nothing to do with
life; it is all meaningless filler. These
people are out of it. Although everyone
knows it, everyone lies about it and
society conspires to keep them there. It isa
not so genteel form of genocide. The old
people know it, too; and, knowing it (and
often being very gracious), they
cooperate: they begin to die in spirit and
then bodily. And no amount of
shuffleboard, creative writing, Canasta or
sightseeing can hide the unpleasant truth.
Society’s message is: spend money, but
stay out of the way, and make no
demands.

Old people are besieged by
indifference, loneliness and uselessness.
They are also physically assaulted by
toughs and criminals. They are,
understandably, fearful. Often they are
imprisoned in their own homes. Yes, the
perpetrators are few in number, but the
assaults could not take. place without a
climate of sentiment, a cast of mind, that
allowed for them. Our society fears the
natural extinction of life so much that it

behaves grotesquely. After all, with luck
we will grow old someday. Thus the
mistreatment of the old is a form of self-
mutilation. Nevertheless, the cruelty
persists.

Faced with such barbarism, why join
the legions of the doomed and damned?
All your life you maintain a certain
schedule. You break that routine once or
twice a year. You go on this way 30 or 40
years. Your heart, your bowels, your mind
keep time with it. And then you stop. You
leave your pleasures, your sorrows, your
family, everything. You might as well run
full speed into a brick wall. No body or
mind was meant to stop like that. Things
have to go wrong — your heart, your
bowels, your mind. It is the first giant step
to the cemetery. Why take it? What’s the
percentage? Why, indeed, do it younger
and younger when people are living to be
older and older? Would you invest money
with the same logic? Does it make any
sense? Perhaps it would if there were
alternatives (for example, working -less)
but there aren’t any alternatives for most
of us. It’s out, totally out, out all the way,
and don’t try to get back in.

In our society, life is useful work and
continuing income. Even what seems like
a large retirement income is to be
regarded with deep suspicion in this day
of inflation. Life and respect are work and
money. It shouldn’t be so, but it is.

There is something suicidal in
retirement, just as there is something
suicidal in society’s callousness toward
the old. So forget the young. You worked
to get what you have. Keep it; enjoy it.
They are young and strong; let them
struggle. It isn’t your problem, you
shouldn’t take the rap. Don’t leave your
job one minute before you have to —
even if you hate it — unless you can’t get
out of bed. You have something to give. It
isn’t true that to be old is to be
incompetent. Fight. Don’t quit. Elect your
own to legislative office. Band together:
the old-age party, the life party. Don’t let
them convince you that the “golden
years” await you. It’s a lie. No one should
go down without a struggle. Kick. Scream.
Be heard all the way to Washington. You
have nothing to lose but your dignity and
your life.

Bernard, a playwright, teaches English at
Long Island University.

© Copyright 1982 by Kenneth Bernard. All

rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of
Newsweek, Inc. and the author.

Festival Quarterly 35

Send form 3579 to: Festival Quarterly
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exploring the art, faith, culture of Mennonite peoples

festival q UaRtERL

FQ’s First Choice: “Back to Nature” by Judith Gerber

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Offer expires September 30, 1982.

table of contents

Listening at Black Caucus

The Black Caucus of the Mennonite
Church met for its annual Assembly in
mid-August. Everyone who went was
privileged. Including white folks.

| listened. It was an_ instructive
gathering. My notes are from the
inspirational and business meetings that
were part of the 2% day event. The
speakers (with the exception of one
workshop leader) were all black.

A disclaimer: there is danger in using
disembodied quotes. My wish is to
convey the spirit of the gathering,
although it can only be done
imcompletely.

1. “Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a Weary
Land.”

2. “Where are the young black
men?”

3. “Where are all the young black
people who used to be there — in Bible
School, in Sunday School?”

4. “What will hold the ones who
stayed?”

5. “Jesus has given us tremendous
power, but we don’t utilize it.”

6. “We black folks are really down
on ourselves.”

7. “Are we saying God made a
mistake when he made black folks? God
chose me to be a black person and | feel
good about that.

“God didn’t intend to make
everyone black and he didn’t intend to
make everyone white. And I’msure about
that. But he did intend for us to be
brothers and sisters.”

8. ‘We have been able to fuss and
fight and still love one another. When
you're able to do that, you’re family.”

Thoughts by

All over the world, for thousands of
years, humans have flocked to the edge of
the water. Drinking the sun, feeling
physical, washing in the tide, and
watching the eternal burst and roar of the
surf.

It seems primal, basic, spiritual.

Why then this marginal, trashy
culture that permeates the ramshackle

9. “If our plans hold, we’re looking
to make the white folks in our church a
minority. We’re talking about an effort to
move our church ina direction God wants
us to.

“We aren’t turning our backs on the
church. We are for it.”

10. “Our contribution to the 1983
tricentennial celebration is to sponsor a
nationwide peace conference bringing
together national black theologians.

“We’re not just here to take.”

11. “Don’t say to us, ‘We need to
keep hearing that.’ Don’t say, ‘You havea
good point.’ Don’t say. ‘The timing just
isn’t quite right.’ ”

12. “Independence does not come
cheap. Maturity does not come cheap at
all. If the black Mennonite Church is
going to do the things they say it ought,
it’s going to cost.”

There was some anger: When blacks
depend on white sources for money, how
can we be equal?

There were lots of questions: Can
blacks and whites ever be more to each
other than polite adversaries?

Is the new Black association of
congregations a separatist power bloc
(does it need to be?)—or a fellowship
group similar to a conference?

How can black concerns (or
handicapped or women or children or
Hispanic concerns for that matter)
become a reflex within the church rather
than an afterthought that comes only after
a hard shove?

| learned a lot by being a white
listener—in the minority.

—PPG

the Sea

towns and cities by the water’s edge? Why
this juvenile behavior, bizarre shops, and
weird atmosphere?

All over the world humankind
exhibits a fleeting, makeshift response to
the eternal sea. Why doesn’t the ocean’s
edge create a holy ground? Why does one
expect Eden, and find Sodom instead?

—MG

nn

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Editorials
Letters
Farmers
Thoughts

The dilemmas
of living off the
land!

Borders

People Stories
Should Men-
nonite Teachers
Strike?

Veteran teach-
er Robert Baker
states himself in
his feisty way,
with little waver-
ing. A_ teacher,
school adminis-
trator, and parent
— all of whom
have experi-
enced strikes —
respond.
Psychology Is
The Worst Thing
to Happen to the Mennonites

Cal Redekop warns against the
dangers of going too far along the
subjective, self-probing route at the
neglect of community and faith.
Poems of Yorifumi Yaguchi

Yaguchi is a Japanese Mennonite
poet, highly regarded in his own country
for his work and actively committed to
the church. His images are devastatingly
powerful.

A Letter to My Mother...

Why do parents have to die? Guilt and
anger complicate grief.

Daniel, A Budding Brazilian Craftsman

Virginia Hostetler found some raw
genius in a 13-year old Brazilian wood
carver.

FQ’s Fourth Annual Photo Contest

Here’s what some photographers did
with “The End of All Things.”
Quarterly News

Film projects, a toymaker, anda family
of painters.

Worldwide News

A Chinese Christian with Mennonite
sympathies who survived the Cultural
Revolution.

Communication By-line
International Quiz
Publishing Notes

Mennonite Books: In Review
Family Creations

American Abroad

Second Sight

Interesting parallels between the
Bible and modern literature.
Best-Selling Books: In Review
Quarterly Film Ratings
Reclassified

page 8

page 19

Festival Quarterly 3

festival
quarterly

The Festival Quarterly (USPS 406-090) is
published quarterly by Good Enterprises, Ltd.,
at 2497 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, PA
17602. The Quarterly is dedicated to exploring
the culture, faith, and arts of the various
Mennonite groups worldwide, believing that
faith and art are as inseparable as what we
believe is inseparable from how we live.

Copyright © 1982 by Good Enterprises, Ltd.
Vol. 9, No. 3. All correspondence should be
addressed to Festival Quarterly, 2497 Lincoln
Highway East, Lancaster, PA 17602. Second-
class postage paid at Lancaster, PA. For U.S.
readers: one year — $7.75; two years — $14.80;
three years — $20.90. All other countries: one
year — $8.95 (U.S. funds); two years — $15.80
(U.S. funds); three years — $21.90 (U.S. funds).

Editor — Phyllis Pellman Good
Publisher and Associate Editor — Merle Good

Design Director — Craig Heisey
Staff Writer — Rachel Stahl
Circulation Manager — Miriam Buckwalter

Contributing Editors — David W. Augsburger,
Hubert L. Brown, Kenton K. Brubaker, Peter
J. Dyck, Sanford Eash, Jan Gleysteen, Keith
Helmuth, James R. Krabill, Jeanette E.
Krabill, Paul N. Kraybill, David Kroeker,
Alice W. Lapp, John A. Lapp, Wilfred
Martens, Mary K. Oyer, Robert Regier, Jewel
Showalter, Carol Ann Weaver, Katie Funk
Wiebe.

Reporters — Rebekah Basinger, Jim Bishop,
Will Braun, Ferne Burkhardt, Karen Glick-
Colquitt, Donna Detweiler, George Dirks,
Gwen Doerksen, Ernest Epp, Ivan Friesen,
Paul Hostetler, Jon Kauffman-Kennel,

Lawrence Klippenstein, Don Krause, Glen
Linscheid, Randy MacDonald, Loyal Martin,
Arnie Neufeld, Myrna Park, Karen Rich
Ruth, Dorothy Snider, Stuart Showalter,
Peter Wiebe, Shirley Yoder.

Phyllis Pellman Good, Merle Good

On the cover — First Choice in this year’s
Festival Quarterly Photo Contest: “Back to
Nature” by Judith Gerber. Tri-X, Pentax
Spotmatic II.

4 August, September, October, 1982

Although | always read your nagazine (sic)
from cover to cover, there has always been
something about it that | did not like, but could
not define. It finally hit me after reading your
May, June, July issue that what has been
bothering me is the essentially humorless
quality of your articles (and | include
particularly in that criticism your “Re-
classified’”’ column by Katie Funk Wiebe. Face
it, Katie Funk Wiebe, aside from her name, is
not funny.).

| realize that “exploring the art, faith and
culture of Mennonite peoples” is not a task to
be undertaken lightly, but it does not have to
be done with quite the moralistic, preaching,
self-improvement style of writing that seems to
inflict your pages. What your magazine has
become is a hip “Words of Cheer.”

The popular image of Mennonites has
always been that of the stern-faced
bewhiskered Lancaster County Amish bishop
who makes the Puritans look like hedonists. |
know that image is false, at least for Mid-
Western Mennonites. The Amish with whom |
grew up were treasure troves of stories and
jokes, many of them scatological. Without a
doubt, they spent more time smiling, laughing,
chortling, and yes, even guffawing, than they
did praying. The ratio was on the order of 10 to
1 — in favor of the jokes. Any attempt at
exploring their culture which does not likewise
emphasize humor, gives a distorted
perception.

| have not done any research on this, but |
think there may be an East-West continuum of
humor. Easterners (at least Mennonites, but
probably not Jews) tend to be more humorless
than those living in the Midwest and further
west. A Lancaster County Mennonite’s idea of a
joke is that a young preacher was afraid he
might be called upon to preach at a conference
only to be told he might not be allowed to pray
in secret (an actual example from Katie Funk
Wiebe’s most recent column). As one gets
further away from the grim influence of the
New York Times, people start to relax a little
more and the stories get funnier. In Ohio,
people are smiling, in Indiana, even the Amish
bewhiskered bishops are slapping their knees,
in Illinois they are rolling around in the corn-
fields with laughter, and, of course, by the time
one gets to California, life is just one big party.
(I skipped over Kansas because there is no rain
and therefore no humor in Kansas.)

There are funny Mennonites around who
could contribute to your magazine. Dan Yutzy,
former Amish boy, turned soldier, turned
sociologist, turned college dean, turned
charismatic preacher, has committed to
memory scores of humorous poems_ in
Pennsylvania Dutch. Joel Kauffman did some
marvelous cartoons for the Gospel Herald until
he offended too many eastern bishops. There
must be some other writers from the Midwest
and West that you could turn to.

The point is, don’t take yourself so
seriously. You allude to yourselves in the last
issue as “survivors of Three Mile Island,” a
phrase you picked up from the eastern press.
With that kind of outlook on life, no wonder

you are not laughing. But the truth is, you are
no more a “‘survivor” of Three Mile Island than
the senators who held hearings on the incident
are “‘survivors” of the hearings on Three Mile
Island,” because the amount of radiation
released into the atmosphere in the famous
1979 incident is roughly equivalent to the
amount of natural radiation emitted from the
building where the hearings were held in
Washington, D.C. So, why not relax? Laugh at
yourselves and the world will laugh with you.

John H. Otto

Champaign, Illinois

Thank you for the article by Robert Kreider
“Sunday Sabbatical.” It was right on target.

What he says about TV preaching was well
written. | too, during a month when! couldn't
attend public services, listened to a number of
TV preachers. Many wanted you to send them
money. In turn, you would be a partner with
the TV personality in evangelizing the world.
You would also receive a small free (2?) gift.

However, like Robert Kreider, | believe
that the greatest danger is that they mostly by-
passed the local church. No fellowship, only
send in your money.

It is also true that there was little Biblical
content. Most programs are more subjective
than objective. The TV personality has center
stage, not Jesus Christ. At least, that is what
came across to this (me) retired pastor.

The TV Church is along ways, in more ways
than one, from the days when my father was in
the free ministry. Of the two, | know that my
father’s methods were best. In his day, they had
real fellowship and the local church was the
center of the members’ lives.

Again, thank you for the article.

Jason Hollopeter
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

With this renewal payment, | wish to give
my appreciation for your magazine. | enjoy the
reading very much and that is the reason | am
renewing my subscription when | leave for my
three years to serve with Brethren in Christ
Missions. | will be working as a nurse in Zambia.

Wanita Brechbill
Zambia, Africa

| would like to see something done on

feminism and militarism. Our peace positions
(Mennonite and Brethren) don’t look at the
connections between war and dominant/
submissive roles. . .and the consequences; |
appreciate your efforts!

Shirley Kirkwood

Mount Solon, Virginia

| am writing to you for several reasons—
first of all, | want you to know that I genuinely
enjoy Festival Quarterly. It’s even more fun
because | know so many of the people who are
involved.

The item which nudged me to write to you
is your book review of Single Voices in FQ.
Church is a bitch. | won’t even go into that
whole situation. | was very excited that this
book was even printed—it’s actually the first

letters

“official” acknowledgment by the church that
we even exist. The review, howeve7, goes a
long way to counteract any positive impact this
book might have had. | could hardly believe
that you would ask someone who is not single
to review this book. Would you ask someone
white to review a book on black culture?
Not only did you ask someone married to
review the only “Mennonite” book about
single people, you asked someone who is
obviously anti-single. The whole review reeks
of a negative attitude toward single people. A
quick reading turns up these unpleasant words

and phrases: ‘‘personal defect,’’

“é « ” “é ” “é “| Ld aR:
unattractive, problems, alienation,

“wondering why they are alone,” “struggles,”

etc. By the way, | do know Bruce and intend to
talk to him about the review.

Apparently unknown to Bruce, there are
people who choose to remain single, for a
variety of reasons. Being single is not a disease;
it is not a punishment meted out for being
“unattractive” or having “personal defect.”
Personally, | am sick and tired of having to
justify my choice to remain single. All | ask is to
be given the option — | would never even
suggest that being single is for everyone;
please don’t try to convice me that everyone
needs to be married. Incidentally,
“convincing” can be very obscure and even
unconscious; I’m not only speaking of those
people who approach me directly on the
subject!

Basically, | have been extremely lucky. |
have an aunt who chose to remain single and
was always very positive about her choice. Her
attitude about her choice has certainly had
beneficial repercussions in my own life. My
parents have never pressured me to get
married; they, at least, realize that this choice is
one which is extremely personal and which
should not be dictated by a society, a church,
family, friends or acquaintances. | also have
many friends, both married and single, who
accept my choice and who are comfortable
with it.

Thank you for listening. With regard to my
status as a single person and what that means to
me as a member of the Mennonite Church, |
really have no great expectations. However, |’d
like to protect the “crumbs” we’re thrown
once in a while!

Debra H. Bender
Chicago, Illinois

This is in response to the article in the May,
June, July, 1982 issue of FQ, “The First Step to
the Cemetery.”

It was indeed a sad commentary on
retirement. For two years we have basked in
our retirement. Not once during this time have
we felt like second class citizens, pushed to the
back burner, discriminated against, useless, or
one with (author’s quote) “handicapped,
homosexuals, jailbirds, the insane, the
retarded.”

You take your first step to the cemetery the
day you are born!

We are busier than ever, productively so.
More time for volunteer work, to host guests,

to travel, to read extensively. The only
difference is, we can now choose our activities.
Would you believe that we are often the envy
of the younger people when we tell them what
our lifestyle now is.

Retirement is not one of discrimination or
waste—but can lead to productivity in areas
heretofore unexplored.

Marie K. Wiens
Hillsboro, Kansas

When | opened the May, June, July issue of
your Festival Quarterly | could hardly believe
my eyes; what | saw on page 5 it is not even fit
for a comic book.

To think that anyone would dream up a
situation of smoking or non-smoking before
entering the pearly gates must have a dim view
of what Heaven is all about.

My Bible tells me, “Eye hath not seen nor
ear heard, neither has entered into the heart
what heaven is like’’ and you drag it into a
comic situation. There is a lot more | could or
would like to say but | suppose it would end in
file 13 anyway.

One more, on page 13 what Gordon D.
Kaufman said about the Bible, he said it was
written by man who could not imagine what it

is or will be like in the years ahead.

What | started out to say was please cancel
my subscription to Festival Quarterly
immediately; | cannot take any more its
worldly views.

Ammon Stauffer
Terre Hill, Pennsylvania

Since the Mission work in India has phased
out, our contacts with the Mennonites in the
USA are through the church papers, like the
Gospel Herald and other publications, to
which the Festival Quarterly will add. This will
mean to us a great deal as fellow Mennonites
abroad. We learn about various issues faced by
the Mennonites in the US and it broadens our
thinking and the circle of Mennonite
Christians become more meaningful in the
matters of prayer and fellowship, who live very
far away, in a separate continent. We shall
remember the Festival Quarterly and the
workers in our prayers so that through this
magazine many, many more Mennonites and
others may be blessed by this soul winning
endeavour. Thanking you again, in Christian
love.

Jasmine and E. P. Bachan
Mennonite Church in India

“l keep having this nightmare in which the meek inherit the earth.’

© The New Yorker Magazine, Inc.

Festival Quarterly 5

farm

by Keith Helmuth

“Did you want to cut that tree?”’ my
young son asks after the crash. A long
pause. “No. No, of course not,” | reply.
We count the rings on the stump to
seventy-five. A beech that was standing
before my father was born, cut down, split
to kitchen stove size to bake our bread, to
give us hot baths, to keep that mid-
morning cup of mint tea hot, to keep this
family of human animals alive another
day.

For that, what stood so long is
suddenly gone. No more will its nut crop
feed the squirrels or its fall of leaves
enrich the forest floor. Something like a
sigh comes through the woods. We look
up at the great hole torn in the forest
canopy. Light pours through. Already the
seedlings at our feet have begun to
respond.

Such is the sorrow of necessity. Such
is the ambiguity of our life. In every good
there seems to be an evil; in every evil the
possibility of good. It seems clearly good
for us to keep warm, well fed and clean,
but in so doing we turn a_ steady
procession of living creatures into smoke

by Peter J. Dyck

Slowly the people began to move
away from the railing. There was a short
blast on the fog horn; the huge ocean
liner began to vibrate as engines went into
action. The lights came on and we were
on our way again, full steam ahead.

This had been my first funeral at sea.
With several thousand refugees on board
the SS Volendam on a 21-day journey
from Bremerhafen, Germany to Buenos
Aires, Argentina, we had of course
expected some illness, certainly sea-
sickness, but not death. When brother
Jakob died, it caught me _ mentally
unprepared. And more than that, it
caught me _ experientially unprepared
since | had not even witnessed a funeral at
sea, let alone conducted one. All | knew
was from films—and | didn’t like it.
Somehow the ejecting of a body
overboard in something like a sack, the
way children go down a sliding board in
the playground, offended my
sensibilities.

The passengers were all talking about
it, speculating how it would be done, who
would officiate, or whether there even
would be a funeral in the traditional

6 August, September, October, 1982

at

and ash. Yet our destruction of elderly
trees makes possible the growth of
seedlings that, otherwise, would have
stunted and died for lack of light.

There is no getting around this
intertwining of good and evil in human
adaptation. If we ignore the evil we
become monsters of exploitation. If we
fail to see the good we end in despair and
madness. The knowledge of good and evil
is exactly what | get when I go to cut my
firewood. | eat regularly the fruit of that
ancient tree and | carry at close range the
promise that | too will surely die.

There are certain mental truces one
must make when living directly from the
land. The hand raised in performance of
duty often casts the image of destruction
across the open mind. We see our human
situation starkly and pray for wisdom to
handle resources in a sacred manner.

| have not yet come to the place
where | can talk to the trees, asking their
permission to be cut, as did many of the
native American peoples, but it no longer
seems like an odd idea. Only a little more

sensitivity, perhaps; a little more time

sense.

And there were the speculations
about the cause of his death. Could it have
been seasickness? Did people actually die
of seasickness? Was there a remedy
against it?

Somebody remembered asking an
older woman who had been observed
eating nothing but oranges and drinking
only orange juice whether that was an
effective antidote. She didn’t know, but
she had explained that oranges and
orange juice were the only food that
tasted the same both ways — going down
and coming up.

On land | laughed at this silly tale, but
the story didn’t seem the least bit funny
on board a boat that was heaving up and
down. The effect it had on my own middle
was something | could do without. No
matter how carefully we would plan every
detail of the service, we might as well
forget about doing it with dignity and in
good taste if | got seasick.

When the day of the funeral arrived,
the sea was calm and our plans were clear.
My last concern was whether 2,000 people
all moving to one side of the ship could

he Message | the

standing quietly in the woods under the
consciousness of trees.

The message | get from listening to
the trees is—do not waste. Take time to
cut the dead and dying before they go
punky. Persevere in thinning the crowded
sapling growth. Be willing to burn some
soft wood though it means more cords to
cut. Split promptly and stack carefully for
maximum air drying before burning. Split
up for kindling the butt ends of cedar logs
left from making fence posts.

Thoreau was on the right track when
he said wood warmed you twice; once
when cut and again when burned. My
experience is it warms you several times
more than that. Firewood is not just cut
and burned but split, loaded, unloaded
and stacked in the woodshed. And then
handled once more when brought to the
stove. And don’t forget taking out the
ashes and cleaning the chimney. It is a
labor intensive business and one _ has
ample time to study the nature of trees
and wood.

Mindfulness is the key to the proper
handling of resources. The slow labor of

possibly tip it over. The captain assured us
there was no danger.

After the singing, scripture reading,
prayer and sermon, came the committal.
The sun had set and the ship’s motors had
been shut off. Silently the floating city

continued to. glide by momentum
through the water. A black coffin was
suspended by ropes over the side from
top deck. Slowly, very slowly, the coffin
was lowered. By now it was completely
dark and only the coffin was visible,
illuminated by strong flood lights. The
choir sang one more song while 2,000
people leaned forward on the railings,
praying and watching. When the coffin
came within a few feet of the water, still
moving slightly, it was a sight more
beautiful than any coffin I’ve seen
lowered into the ground. The last minutes
were unusually meaningful. Everything
was so new and different, so peaceful and
serene. It was not difficult to think
thoughts about the resurrection, to add a
new dimension to one’s hope.

| signaled to the first officer who
responded by removing his cap, turning
to his men, the sailors handling the ropes,

preparing a winter’s wood supply offers
good scope for the exercise of
mindfulness. From the selection of trees
through the splitting and stacking there is,
if One tunes into it, a kind of meditative
dimension to the task.

At each loading of the stove | reflect
on the sacrifice of the tree and on the
labor needed to arrive at this moment. It
seems only right that each piece should
be placed in such a way as to ignite most
readily and burn most efficiently. And in
the spring when I cast the ashes of many
trees lightly over the

gardens | am visited
a the feeling of
having done my best —
to handle thisresource |
in asacred manner.

&

Keith Helmuth has developed a small-
scale diversified farm in New Brunswick,
Canada. He writes out of “a background of
ecological and social concern.”

17’

and saying, “In God’s name, let go!
Slowly the ropes coiled down to the
coffin, adding an unexpected decorative
effect. Yet a few moments longer we saw
the coffin, now sinking slowly by the
weight attached to it—and then it was
gone.

At that moment we heard the blast on
the fog horn, the Volendam began to
vibrate as engines went into action, the
lights came on and we were on our way
again. Full steam ahead.

We buried five persons on that trip
and yet arrived with
exactly the same
number of passengers
we had _ started out

with.
i)

Peter Dyck has spent a rich life shuttling
refugees to new homelands, overseeing relief
programs, and telling wise and witty stories. At
home in Akron, Pennsylvania, he works in
Constituency Relations for Mennonite Central
Committee.

people stories

To Be Black,

Woman,
and Mennonite

by Joy Lovett

Reflecting over what it means to be
Black, woman, and Mennonite evokes
memories and emotions of pain,
frustration, and excitement.

There has been the pain of non-
acceptance by my family and Black peers
for many years because of my Anabaptist
beliefs and my association with white
people. When some Mennonites
question my wearing the covering |
sometimes feel accused rather than their
sincere desire to discuss true motives. Asa
Mennonite in a professional position in

which the use of force is an accepted and

...my talents
are much more
accepted and
welcomed in non-
Christian groups
with whom I work
than within my
church.

encouraged practice, | struggle daily in

seeking other options to deal with the
large amount of suffering and injustice
which exists. Colleagues do not readily
accept my refusal to use force or my
insistence on taking risks to insure justice.

| struggle in discerning how my gifts
and talents as a woman are to be used in
the church. It hurts to discover that my
talents are much more accepted and
welcomed in non-Christian groups with
whom | work than within my church, and
often | feel confused when | have to play

‘recall

two different roles.

The most painful experiences are
those rejections | feel because of the color
of my skin. Many times my Mennonite
brothers and sisters have avoided me or
ignored my presence in a gathering.
Often in meetings | feel unheard unless
my educational level is known. It hurt asa
youth to know that my cultural heritage
was not valued by white Mennonites and
viewed by many as “‘sinful” or something
to be “overcome.”

Yet it is exciting for me to see that the

Mennonite church has progressed much
since the time | was told that | had to be
African in order to obtain a scholarship to
Eastern Mennonite College. I’m excited
to be part of a church who has made a
commitment to development in minority
and urban communities. I’m excited to be
part of a church who offers more than lip
service in being involved with all the hurts
of life. It is with deep appreciation that |
the dedication of those who
worked with us in my home community
during my childhood 2nd youth.

| am looking forward to atime when |
can serve the church with my God-given
talents and abilities without being
accused of usurping the place of man. |
am also ___ looking
forward to a time
when my_ contri-
bution as a Black
person will be fully
accepted and _ val-

ued.
“|

Joy Lovett is a city planner in
Charlottesville, Virginia. She isa member of the
Black Council of the Mennonite Church.

Festival Quarterly 7

Should Mennonite Teachers
Strike?

by Robert J. Baker

At the risk of sounding
opinionated, dogmatic, bigoted,
judgmental, the answer that | personally
give to the above question, is a
forthright, resounding, conclusive,
=Nou

My qualifications for speaking to
the question may be limited, but | hope
adequate. My teaching career began in
1947 when | finished out the spring
term for an incapacitated teacher at a
small school near Terre Haute, Indiana.
It was under a trustee’s mandate and |
received $210.00 per month.

In the fall of 1947 | signed my first
teaching contract for $2400.00 per year.
With the exception of one year out for
graduate study | have been in the
classroom from early September to late
May each succeeding year.

For over thirty years | have been a
member of the Elkhart Teachers’
Association which affiliates with the
1.S.T.A. (Indiana State Teacher’s
Association) and the N.E.A. (National
Education Association). Such
associations are a notch or so below a
union, not as militant, but certainly with
the power to strike. | pay my
association dues, attend the meetings,
express my Mennonite opinion. | am a
member of this teachers’ association
like | am a citizen of the United States,
like | am a member of the Mennonite
Church. All three | recognize as
basically good, but | do not approve of

all actions of the three and | reserve my
individual right to object and abstain
from actions not meshing with my
conscience. In the human herd | do not
have to be a sheep.

Upon different occasions | have
made my position clear to association

8 August, September, October, 1982

leaders: | will not strike against my
school board, my administrator, my
students, their parents; | will not be a
party to violence, nor participate in any
job action that violates my conscience.

One year when the association was
unsuccessful in their bargaining, we met
to consider stronger pressures, striking
being one of them. | was young, took
the floor microphone at the mass
meeting where feelings ran high, and
with trembling voice stated that | could
not be a part of a strike. When things
looked dark another year, | notified
association leaders in writing of my
position. The year the association closed
down the entire city’s educational
system by withholding services for one
day, | went to my nearly empty school
and worked in a pupilless room. After
all, | did not vote for such job action.
Working was my protest. The minority
has alternatives.

| have sufficient cognizance of
history to recognize that the labor
movement, the growth of unions, were
acceptable and needed for our
country’s progress. In the past labor was
exploited; the sweat shops did exist. |
am also deeply aware of the use and
misuse of union power, accompanying
violence, the arrogance of such union
leaders as John L. Lewis. The employer’s
avarice of yesterday is matched by the
employee’s greed of today, demands
that contribute to our present national
economic plight.

Ephesians 5:2-3, NIV, does not
mention unions or strikes but Paul’s
words, “‘Live a life of love... among
you there must not be even a hint of
... greed,” although proof texting to
the hilt, to me seems relevant to the
question. There is a regiment of
nonresistant verses that could be hurled
into the battle for Mennonite minds
struggling with the strike question;
scripture to convince any Anabaptist
teacher that there is a more excellent
way than that of “hitting the bricks.” |
am ashamed that many snags in teacher
negotiations, many threats on the part
of teachers to “go to war” and set up
the picket lines, are centered and
anchored on salary demands. It is the
“greed” to which Paul speaks as he
writes to Ephesians and Mennonite
teachers.

Let me be as precise in my
reasoning and definition of position as |
can in limited space. | will not, cannot
strike, because,

1. As a professional | will not withhold
services from those to whom | have

pledged my services;

2. To strike is a grasping, threatening,
selfish action, often leading to
violence, and totally unacceptable to
this person. Guy Hershberger, the
Mennonite Church, Jesus Christ
taught me to take a different, if more
difficult stance;

3. If | do not choose to work, to quit is
an option. | care not to force my
services upon anyone;

4. For thirty-five years | have not only
served, | have been served. To not
bite the hand that has fed me may
seem a weak reason, even de-
meaning to some, but | am honestly
grateful to a system and vocation
that has enabled me to earn an
honest living.

One more thing for my critics, the
young Turks who might sneer at my
apparent boot smacking. They may
sniff, “But you speak from the adequate
and plush side of a $20,000.00 plus
salary.”” Believe me, | said the same
thing thirty years ago when my salary
was meager and in order to pay the
hospital bill as the first of our five
children was born, | found it necessary
to mortgage the 1941 Plymouth at the

local bank. | know what it was to hustle
during the summer months for survival.
It can be done.

The principle of nonresistance is an
integral part of this question. That
principle, when understood, accepted,

: NN HR A
is nonnegotiable. Christ did not
establish nonresistance as something to
bend, adjust, stretch, manipulate for
one’s personal comfort. | speak with the
pain that comes from the experience of
having done so in World War II. If you
don’t mind, Ill sit this dance out.

Should They. . .?

by Gerald L. Hughes

by Kathryn Klassen Neufeld

by Rodney E. Houser

Although | would not recommend
Baker’s article as a valid position paper for
Mennonite (Why not Christian?) teachers
on this question, | strongly defend his

right to take such a position and
commend his courage for stating it to his
fellow association members. If the subject
had been, “Should | as a Mennonite
Teacher Strike,” it would be simple to
support his personal convictions.

| have related to numbers of non-
Mennonite, non-striking teachers who
have wrestled with this question for the
reasons Baker gives, without the
influence of Guy Hershberger. They have
no simple or “conclusive” answers. Baker
speaks out of an Elkhart (Menno country)
context. In some situations, crossing a
picket line of one’s peers is no simple
matter, even if they know of your
convictions. | have done so and speak
from experience!

As a teacher | voluntarily did not
participate in union activities, and as an
administrator | have been the direct
victim of negative actions by individual
union members during a strike.

In formal written reply to inquiry
from my own staff members before two
pending strikes, | stated that “I respect the
convictions of any persons who choose to
withhold their services | cannot
respect any activity which negatively
impacts upon the welfare of pupils or
damages the school’s status in the
community.”

| could give this to Robert Baker or
any nonresistant Christian. His or her
response would come out of their own
context and conviction. After Baker’s
opening, “forthright, resounding,
conclusive, No,” I’m not sure what he says
in his last sentence, in which he says “‘I’ll
sit this dance out.’’?

Gerald L. Hughes is principal of the
Harvey Rice School, an elementary school in
the city of Cleveland. He is vice-president of
the Mennonite Board of Education.

| have no difficulty accepting and
respecting your position at a personal
level, Mr. Baker; however, when you
begin to make your position sound
normative for all Mennonites your words
feel judgmental.

During the school year, 1978-79, the
Fresno Unified School District teachers
went on strike for two weeks. At that time
we had children in the first, fifth and sixth
grades. Since we live across the street
from the school we were very much
impacted by the strike. Many of the
teachers were picketing in front of the
school throughout the strike. The school
continued to operate with substitute
teachers.

Each day became a trauma for the
children since the picketing teachers
became quite abusive as the weeks went
by. A number of the teachers called the
children names for going to school and
encouraged them not to cooperate with
the substitutes. The teacher of our middle
child was especially abusive, both to the
substitutes as well as the children,
shouting, “Scab! Scab!’’, as soon as the
substitutes or children would come in
sight.

The children were confused about
whom they should listen to, their teachers
or the substitutes. Classroom behavior
deteriorated considerably and once the
strike was over it was understandable that
things were “not back to normal.”

Yes, Mr. Baker, to strike is often a
selfish action which often leads to
violence. Each one of us will need to make
a choice how we will respond to injustice
and be aware that in so doing we may also
be taking an adversary position. Each of us
is responsible for our own choices.

Kathryn Klassen Neufeld, Fresno,
California, is completing her Ph.D. in
Counseling Psychology while working as an
Associate Counselor for the Mennonite
Brethren Biblical Seminary.

The principle of nonresistance is an
integral part of this question. A teacher
strike can be a nonviolent expression to
an unjust school board, and a Mennonite
can participate in the best of Anabaptist
tradition.

School boards and teachers must be
seen as having a cooperative relationship
toward their common goal of quality
education. ‘‘Handout and feeding” is not
an appropriate analogy for this
relationship. Two years ago this
cooperative relationship broke down in
my district when the board refused even
to consider items (non-economic) which
the teachers felt were important. A six-
day strike became necessary for the
negotiating teams to hear honestly what
each other was saying. Although the strike
was inconvenient, there was no suffering
or violence. Services were postponed
rather than withheld.

Baker refers to his critics as “‘sniffing
and sneering young Turks.” During the
strike, | helped mana hotline and also met
with two parent groups. While
experiencing community hostilities, |
suggested ways in which we all could help
resolve the issues. Participation in the
strike was an humbling experience—I did
not sniff and sneer then nor have | since.

One more thing for Baker. When he
hustled for survival on a $2,400 salary in
1947, he could have bought a new home
in’ my community for $11,000. His
counterpart today, starting at $11,500,
would pay $62,000 for the same house
with interest rates three to four times what
he would have paid. I’m not justifying
striking over salaries, but merely up-
dating his example.

Rodney Houser is a veteran teacher at
Lampeter-Strasburg High Schoolin Lampeter,
Pennsylvania.

Festival Quarterly 5

Psychology is the Worst
Thing that has Happened
to the Mennonites

by Calvin Redekop —

Yes, | made that statement at a seminar in Eastern
Pennsylvania several years ago. Would | own up to it today?
Well, | have to either say yes, or find some graceful way to
wiggle out of the predicament.

| made that statement in the context of a larger theme,
that one of the cardinal elements of the Anabaptist-
Mennonite tradition is the centrality of the community of
believers. This community is the cradle which nurtures our
sense of reality, its meaning, and the nature of the “‘oughts,”’
or morality which God has called us to live. The unifying
theme of Western culture, especially North American culture,
on the other hand, is extreme individualism expressed in a
cult of subjectivism and self-gratification.

Mennonites, in their wholesale acceptance of hedonistic
culture, are buying into all the prevailing values,and one of the
leading values is the significance of the individual’s subjective
states, feelings, emotions and needs.

It was in that context that | used the concept of
“psychology.” | was not referring to the
“discipline” of psychology,
which | would not want
to so cavalierly dismiss
(as if my ideas on the
subject would make any
difference to anybody).

There are some great
intellectual and theological
problems with the discipline
of psychology for
the Christian. And a vast
literature on the subject
exists. One example,
among many others, is Paul Vitz’s Psychology as Religion: The
Cult of Self Worship (Eerdmans, 1977). Modern psychology
can perferm as a moral equivalent to religion, and there are
many indications that it is doing just that.

Why would | get so worked up about psychology and
the Mennonites? Probably | have deep problems with my
own psyche, and hence am avoiding facing up to my own
hangups. There may well be some truth in that. But as has
been shown long ago, taken to its logical conclusion, this
leads to the solopsist argument, that the only reality is the
self and its states, which can be further reduced to the state
of the state of the self and so on. . .ending in absurdity.

Psychology and Mennonites are in some ways
incompatible or diametrically opposed because psychology
focuses on the subjective mechanisms, drives, states and
dynamisms of people. This is not to deny that these are real
for all of us recognize the “‘mystery” of human life and
experience. But the tendency for psychology to reduce
human experience to individual parameters, be they
chemical, biological, genetic, or physiological is there.

Mennonite faith on the other hand has historically
focused on the objective, transcendental, ethical. It was the
objective work of God, the teachings of Christ, the call to

?

Mennonites and kindred
groups are under the spell of
“psychological”
personal, marital, community,
political, and church problems.

obedience, which informed the faith of the Anabaptists. It
was the objective reality of the collectivity of believers, the
body of Christ, which formed the basis for belief and
behavior. | say was, because the psychological stress on the
inner life has undercut the collective dimension of the
Anabaptist faith. Psychology is not the only force which has
broken down the Anabaptist emphasis on the objective
nature of faith and morals, but it has been very influential.

Certainly the desire for upward mobility, the acceptance
of materialistic culture, the belief in the transcendence of
science and other forces, have influenced Mennonites and
other believing Christians as well, but psychology as a major
force in Western society today, has trivialized and neutralized
religion very effectively. Mennonites and kindred groups are
under the spell of a “psychological” solution to personal,
marital, community, political, and church problems.

Without a doubt, an 800-word article will not clarify all
the issues, but it can raise a few red flags: How do we
reconcile the professionalism of Mennonite Mental
Health institutions
(including the training,
therapies, high salaries)
with the Anabaptist faith?
How do we reconcile
Jesus’ “hard sayings”
with the prevailing
“client centered’ therapy?
How do we reconcile the
centrality of subjective
experience, including
religious experience, with
the “Thus said the Lord”

solutions to

of historical Anabaptism?

| would probably not have written this short piece if |
hadn’t recently read the special issue on Mennonites and
Mental Health in the January, 1982 issue of The Mennonite
Quarterly Review.

At the risk of sounding a bit snobbish, anyone of
intelligence who reads those articles has to become aware of
the tortured attempt at harmonizing psychology and
Anabaptist theology. One does not need to read between the
lines to recognize a basic ambivalence and ambiguity in
almost all the articles and theses. Freud considered religion
hostile to humanistic values, yet almost everyone agrees that
Mennonite Mental Health institutions have been at least
partly Freudian in orientation.

| am glad that | have been trained in sociology, for the
discipline as such tends to deny the subjective as the
determinative. But, let me quickly admit that both psychology
and sociology need to be judged by a higher authority,
which is theology. But it seems our theology is being reduced
to sociology, or even worse, psychology!. . .| have just
thought of the theme for my next pop lecture in Eastern
Pennsylvania. . .““Theology is the worst thing that has
happened to the Mennonites.”

SS SS SE SSS SSS SSS SS SSS SP

10 August, September, October, 1982

Calvin Redekop, Waterloo, Ontario, is professor of sociology at
Conrad Grebel College and the author of numerous sociological
studies.

Seeing into the soul of a Japanese Mennonite poet

How to Eat Loaches

— Some people say raw loaches are
good for the heart...

You just swallow
the loaches living
without chewing them.

They fall right
into your stomach where
they moan, struggle and

try to jump out.
But they gradually become
faint and still

like mice ina
snake or a minority race

in a society. by

Festival Quarterly 11

A Fish

In the rock

a big fish,

still as a stone,
Strains its ears,
trying hard to
learn how it’s
going outside,

While outside,

|

Stand immobile,
holding my breath,
trying hard to
learn how it’s
going inside.

A Tree

| didn’t know
| was a tree
till | tried to
walk...

Words
Leave them there
in the darkness

as they have been
from the beginning.

It’s their silences
that speak to us

and not
the combined sounds.

Ly August, September, October, 1982

A Shadow

A Shadow

Of Someone
Standing

On the other side
Of the horizon

Is now

Almost

Touching my feet.

Praying mantis

This morning | saw a male
praying mantis being
eaten by his female.

| could almost hear his
wild shout of ecstasy
as his wife ate him

and his joy seemed to increase
the more as his body was
violently bitten along.

The complete trance of
self-oblivion comes at the moment
when his last part is bitten.

—Tonight when | am exhausted
after our long and
violent intercourse,

| think of the male mantis,
wondering if his swallowed body
’was digested or still praying in her.

A Skater

Somebody crossed
The icy-field in me
By the sharpest edge,
Just now!

Surprised,

| turned my head
Into it quickly
But it’s too late,

And only two lines

Were left continuous
Beyond the horizon on
The ice on which nobody
Had ever passed.

Yorifumi Yaguchi is a Japanese Mennonite

poet who continues to write, and be read
with respect.

He is Professor of American Literature at

Hokusei University in Sapporo and a
Mennonite pastor.

His life has been touched by war and by

death and by faith. It is all a part of the
poems he writes.

Festival Quarterly

b/

13

4

| hit you in the face, Mother. Do you know what made
me remember that? It was on the Greyhound bus on my
three-day trip to California, where amidst the awful
cigarette smoke, the 2-hour debate between the Mormon
and the Jehovah’s Witness, | had to watch a young mother
abusing her little son. Then | remembered. | pushed the
memory away, but with my violent anger at this wrathful
mother hitting her son, | remember how | felt when | hit
you.

You couldn’t even ward off the blow. You were in a coma
dying of cancer. Do you remember the pain when my hand
smacked your face? And do you remember how | bent and
kissed you, in a vain attempt to erase what | had just done?

That morning | lugged my T.V. set from the basement
and set it up for you to watch. | turned you on your side
and propped your body with pillows so you would be
comfortable. Maybe your back had an itch or your arm fell
asleep because you were lying on it. You didn’t tell me if
you were comfortable or not. You hadn’t spoken for six
months, ever since you went into a coma. You didn’t even
look at me when | told you that | was going to take a bath
or get dressed for the day, or take out the garbage. My
mind was blank. I’m sure you wished | would talk about
deep sea fishing or climbing the Matterhorn, but | was
running out of things to say. You never responded. You
couldn't.

| couldn’t tell you that when | got together with my
youth group they made me feel guilty that you were dying.
Oh, they didn’t say it straight out. It wasn’t that way. But
when Danny said, “Last week | felt a cold coming on. |

| To My Mother...

by Rachel K. Stahl

ea

prayed about it, but it didn’t go away. | knew that God
didn’t want my body to be sick, He says so in His Word. So
| prayed and asked the Lord to show me what | was doing
wrong and He clearly showed me that | needed to ask
someone’s forgiveness. It was hard, but | did and Praise
God, the cold is gone.”

Mother, | had done everything. | prayed, cried, begged,
asked for forgiveness over and over again and still you
didn’t rise up from your bed, gloriously restored to health.
No, you went on staring into the air, wetting your bed,
vomiting the meals | gave you through the tube in your
nose and moaning for hours on end.

| hit you then, Mother. Even though you had never hit
me in the face in my life. Sure, you spanked me; your
wooden cooking spoon was well used, but you never
humiliated me by slapping my face.

| was mad at God. | was mad at you. | was mad at my
youth group and their lack of compassion and
understanding. | was mad at Father, with whom | rubbed
constantly. And | was furious at myself — my inability to
rouse God, to rouse you, to rouse my youth group, to
awaken myself out of that awful ditch of days spent in
mindless caring for your body: Turn Mother every hour,
change her sheets two times each day, move her limbs
twice a day in prescribed exercises, give her five feedings
through her nose tube.

Forgive me, Mother. Did | say | was violently angry at
the furious mother abusing her child? Did you say that the
memory of the moment | slapped you should teach me
compassion for other angry, tied-up people?

14 August, September, October, 1982

Rachel K. Stahl is Assistant Manager of The People’s Place. Her
mother died in 1977.

Daniel,

a Budding Brazilian Craftsman

Daniel Fernandes da Silva does not attend a prestigious
art school or have fancy equipment to produce things of
beauty. In fact, there is little sophistication in this teenaged
Mennonite wood-carver who lives and works in Redencao, a
small frontier town in the northern state of Para, Brazil.

The unpainted wooden house of Daniel’s family is simply
built, with few decorations or refinements. The walls are
rough, unsanded wood, and curtains hang in the doorways of
the four rooms the family shares. On one wall hangs a large
wood carving of Jesus and the disciples at the Last Supper.
It’s a carving which Daniel made.

Thirteen-year-old Daniel has a small build, dark brown
eyes and curly hair, and lacks the hardened, bored look
many North American youth seem to have. Dressed in a

by D. Michael Hostetler

simple shirt, shorts, and rubber thongs, he could be out in
the dirt streets playing soccer with the other boys, or
climbing a mango tree in the back yard.

Instead, he spends his afternoons in the workshop of the
master carver, Alvaro. There, in the world of chisels and
wood shavings, sandpaper and wood polishes, Daniel
becomes a serious artist at work. Alvaro has a carving
business , making handsome wooden doors and plaques
to fill customers’ orders. Daniel does odd jobs around the
workshop in exchange for lessons and tips on carving. He
also has time to work on his own carving projects.

Daniel is a third-generation Mennonite, and he and his
family attend the young Mennonite fellowship in Redencdo.
His grandfather, José Fernandes Brito, was one of the first
people to join the Brazilian Mennonite church in
Araguacema, Goidas, back in the 1950’s. Now, José is a retired
carpenter (he gave his saw to Daniel), and a traveling leader
among the Mennonite churches in northern and central
Brazil.

Daniel’s father, also called Daniel, moved his family to
Redencao several years ago, seeking better work and living
conditions. Now he works as a truck driver. Daniel’s
energetic mother, Anaides, teaches grade school in town and
takes in sewing at home to help provide for Daniel and his
two younger sisters.

It was Daniel’s mother, in fact, who first had the idea of
him learning to carve. While buying a used sewing machine
she saw the work of a local woodcarver. She suggested to

Daniel that he take lessons, and did sewing in order to pay
for his first lessons, and to buy his set of carving tools.

Although the initial idea was his mother’s, the energy
that has kept Daniel carving for the past year is definitely his
own. Alvaro says, ‘Of all the boys | have taught (eight or
nine), he’s the one who has the most desire to learn.”

Daniel begins each new piece motivated by the pleasure
of seeing the designs take shape under his tools. First, he and
Alvaro choose a design for the slab of wood he will work on.
Daniel usually uses mahogony, a wood that is plentiful in that
area of Brazil, due to the large Amazonian forests.

The master does the rough sketching of the design and
transfers it to the wood. (“I’m practicing my drawing,” says
Daniel, explaining that he hopes to make his own designs in

by Virginia A. Hostetler

the future.) Once the sketching is done, the rest of the work
is Daniel’s — the initial chiseling out, the finer detail work,
the sanding, and the final steps of applying shoe polish and
buffing the wood. Along the way the apprentice and the
master consult on technique.

Daniel spends about a day and a half on each piece. The
final work may be the face of Christ (his favorite), a picture
of a young woman carrying a water jug, a fisherman with his
net and boat, or other typical scenes from rural Brazil.

In the depressed economy of present-day Brazil, a young
person like Daniel has a great advantage to have a skill that
can earn him money. Missionaries Bob and Fran Gerber have
encouraged him in his carving and have taken some of his
pieces to the cities of Brazil’s industrial south, where the
tourist market is.

Daniel used some of his earnings to buy an attractive
wooden bed for himself. The income also helped in the
completion of his family’s house. About future income,
Daniel says, “I think I’ll put some of it in the bank.”’ Someday
the savings will allow him to attend a good high school in a
large city.

A beginning artist, Daniel has just started to develop his
technique and to discover his potential. He’s shy and doesn’t
like to talk about himself and his carving. But his dedication
and interest in his work keep him learning and growing. One
hopes that the Mennonite Church will see more of his work
in the future.

Virginia A. Hostetler is a writer from Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Festival Quarterly 15

Y

“Disillusionment,” by Paul M. Schrock. Second Choice. Rollicord, Plus-X

“Ah, but the seeds,” by Muriel Thiessen Stackley. Honorable Mention. “Middlebury, Indiana,” by David
Beautycord, Panchromatic 120. Pentax, Plus-X.

“Does It Make a Difference?” — Next Year’s FQ Contest. © when we realized we had hit upon a subject. “Does It Make a

We were puzzling over whether or not it was important to Difference?”

announce a theme for our next Photo Contest. One can be serious and look for conviction. You might find
Does a theme make a difference, we wondered, to irony. You may see quirky humor. Let your photography and

photographers riffling through their files or going out shooting, | events pose the question that so often baffles parents, preachers,

16 August, September, October, 1982

Ze

“The Committee,” by Mark Shelly. Third Choice. Nikkormat FT2, Tri-X.

a

Sein nineteen.
tien. ens in, Hirani steeciti

rt. Honorable Mention. “The End of the Road,” by Jim Bishop. Honorable Mention. Minolta SRT-201,
Tri-X.

politicians, teachers, neighbors, laborers. used, photo title, and a self-addressed envelope with adequate
Winners will be featured in the August, September, postage for return. Cash prizes will be awarded to winners.

October, 1983 Festival Quarterly. Submissions must be made by May 1, 1983 to Festival
Entries must be black and white, include the name, address, Quarterly Photo Contest, 2497 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster,

and phone number of photographer, type of film and camera PA 17602.

Festival Quarterly 17

Burst of Filmmaking |

Mennonites

Films about Mennonites, con-
temporary and historical, are in varying
stages of completion from Winnipeg to
Kokomo, Indiana.

Still in its development period is
‘““And When They Shall Ask.” A proposed
$400,000 documentary, the film is to
dramatize the history of Mennonites in
Russia, from their arrival from Prussia in
the 1780’s, until today. David B. Dueck,
executive producer of the project,
explained to Festival Quarterly that the
feature length film will be told through
the eyes of an older person who
experienced the Revolution.

It is intended to be _ historically
accurate; John B. Toews has done the
historical research. Said Dueck, ‘““We’re
going to be using a lot of old
photography. We’re looking for old 16
mm _ footage from Russia or South
America. We tried to go to Russia for
footage, but they said ‘Nyet.’ ”

Why do such a film? “I would like to
share the spiritual aspect of our culture
with our present and future generations,”
reflected Dueck from his base in
Winnipeg. “We have a Biblical faith, and
it’s that that kept them going. They could
lose everything—and still survive.”

Dueck is presently selling shares to

finance the $400,000 production.

If the film proceeds, shooting will
begin this fall. Release is scheduled for the
end of 1983. Dueck plans then to exhibit it
in concert halls and auditoriums on an
admission basis, with the chance of some
sales to television.

in Kokomo, Indiana, “The Weight”
was in production at the time of this
writing in late August. An $85,000 hour-
long feature, the film is based on Joel
Kaufmann’s novel of the same title
(Herald Press). Kaufmann and _ film
director Bill Myers have co-adapted the
screenplay.

Cinematographer Jim Bowman
reported “good weather” and “eighteen
hour work days. We’re staying with the
script; it’s very tight. There have been no
scenes axed or added.”

Yost Center Opens with Arts Line-up

Hesston (KS) College has a new
addition to its campus. Yost Center is
primarily a physical development center,
featuring a gym, running track, handball/
racquetball courts, offices, locker rooms
and a classroom.

But to kick off its opening, the
building will host a series of performing
artists—a Bluegrass concert on September
20; “The Nutcracker,” performed by the

18 August, September, October, 1982

Karen Graber (Donna Timmons) and Brad Eberly (Jon Springer) share a “private” moment

on the set of “The Weight.’ The story follows a group of boys who turn 18 during the summer
of 1972 and face a range of decisions from dating and drinking to registering for the draft.

There are four male leads and two
female leads in the film. They, and many
of the secondary characters, were cast
from auditions at Bethel and Hesston
Colleges, Goshen and Eastern Mennonite
Colleges, and in Lancaster.

“We’ve been extremely pleased with
the support of the churches here,” said
Bowman. “They’ve been housing and
feeding us, giving us access to their
homes. | think | can say we could not have
done the thing without them.”

Tentative schedule is to have post-
production finished by December with a
release date in January, 1983. Funding was
not complete in late August. ‘““‘We have
about a quarter of our budget to raise
yet,’ commented Bowman.

Recently completed films include
“Mennonite Beginnings,” the second in
the Mennonite Heritage Film Series,
sponsored by the General Conference
Mennonite Church. Fourteen minutes
long, it shows the religious, political, and

Tulsa Ballet on December 6; choral music
by the Roger Wagner Chorale on March
20; ard a two-act play based on Poe and
Twair sketches performed by Boston’s
Chamber Repertory Theatre on April 14.

The Yost Center was financed with
the help of a $500,000 gift from Lyle and
Erma Yost. Mr. Yost is Chairman of the
Board of Hesston Corporation.

cultural mix out of which Anabaptism
grew and spotlights the emergence of
early fellowships throughout Europe.

Study guides are being produced to
supplement the series to make the films
more useful for study groups or as
introductory pieces.

Mennonite Central Committee this
spring released “Give Me Your Hand—
MCC Today.” It is a 30-minute
promotional film that interrogates MCC’s
activities, attitudes and motives.

The script is by John Ruth; the camera
work by Burton Buller. The setting is
Bolivia where helper and helpee are
shown to be needy of each other.

Another Ruth/Buller effort is “606:
The Persistence of Community,” a 28-
minute 16mm film set in the Shenandoah
Valley in Virginia. The film explores three
different groups of Mennonites in the
Valley, each with their own peculiar
practices, yet each with a vital sense of a
faith community.

worldwide news

Wang’s Faith Continued Through

Revolution

A long history of being Christian is
what helped 77-year-old Stephen Wang
keep his faith. He was in his 60’s during the
Communist Revolution in his native
China. “It was a terrible time for all. There
was so much persecution; so much death.
And it was very hard for Christians to keep
their beliefs. There were no churches. All
worship was done secretly in homes with
family.”” Only rarely did people risk joint
worship.

Wang was the son of parents who
were both pastors. His faith commitment
began as a youth. He married a woman
who too was attempting to follow Christ.

Keeping faithfulness intact for more than
five decades was the track record Wang
needed to survive the Revolution. “I
know Christianity to be the truth, so why
should | give it up?” he asks.
Mennonites are called Henrys in
China. The Henry Church is named for
the first Mennonite missionary to China
— Henry Brown. Prior to the Revolution
there were several denominations, but
now Chinese Christians are part of one
church — the Chinese Protestant 3-Self
Patriotic Movement. Denominational
groupings are foreign to Chinese under-
standing. Wang previously thought

different denominational missionaries
that came to China represented different
geographical areas of the world. All
taught one God, one Savior, one Holy
Spirit. Surely the only difference must be
the place they call home.

Stephen Wang believes that
Christians love peace. How peace is
instilled or maintained has resulted in
wars up and down the time line and back
and forth across boundary lines. Wang is
convinced Chinese want peace and the
way to that peace is via a strong defense
that will intimidate neighbors. Keeping
threats to peace at bay results in peace.

it was very hard
Christians to
0 their beliefs
Il worship was
secretly in

omes with family.

His argument follows that to join the
Chinese army is to participate in the
protection of peace. All China’s armies
are inside Chinese borders. They have no
interest in increasing land hoidings. No
interest in resources outside their
borders. Their desire is to maintain a
climate for the continuation of peace
within their country. Wang assesses that
reasoning as significantly different from
an American argument for a strong
defense. He smiled, ‘Reagan has interest
all over the world.”

Keeping Peace With
the Neighbors,- in
Paraguay

Paraguayan Mennonites are working
hard at living peacefully with their
neighbors while witnessing for peace to
their government.

Dealing with fifty-one years of
prejudice against the many tribes of
Indians who surround them, the
Mennonites are attempting to first of all
be honest about the suspicions that have
grown up in half a century. Values differ
and consequently lifestyles do, too. The
Indians suffer from many of the same
problems experienced by minorities
elsewhere — lack of education, ambition,
and stable employment. Mennonite
Christians struggle with anger and fear
against them.

A peace conference in Loma Plata
earlier this year focused on_ these
problems, as well as an appropriate
witness to the government. Mennonites
from all over Paraguay and from
neighboring South American countries
came together to study the Bible and
apply the ideal of peace to life.

Attendees, numbering up to 500 in
some evening sessions, worshipped
together and then participated in
workshops on peace-living in farming and
education, in the family and in relation to
the state.

The Gemeinde Kommittee of the
Mennonite Colonies sponsored the
event.

German Mennonites
Find Common Ground

After years of deep differences,
leaders of the North German Mennonite
Conference (Vereinigung) and leaders
from the South German Mennonite
Conference (Verband) recently met to
discuss ways to cooperate and unite more
fully.

The two groups have done some
relief and mission work together; they
have a common songbook and historical
society, and increasingly ministers have
exchanged pulpits. So the union was nota
sudden thing but a gradual growing
together.

The North Germans number some
10,000 members and are traditionally
more socially active than the southern
churches. The 1,000 South Germans have
historically been somewhat more pietistic
in their expression of faith.

Careful leadership, an approach from
the South Germans, and footwork onthe
part of practicing churchmen rather than
theologians seem to partly account for the
union. For 150 years the groups had failed
to find sufficient common ground to be
one body.

Festival Quarterly 19

How to Apply
To Receive FQ — Free

(through the International
Subscription Fund)

The International Subscription
Fund is to assist persons overseas
(excluding western Europe but
including Central and South Americas)
to receive FESTIVAL QUARTERLY
magazine free of charge. Overseas
personnel of Mennonite programs and
projects are also eligible.

Qualified persons will receive a
two-year subscription free. The
signature of the congregational leader
or organizational representative
recommending the application is
required.

It is suggested that the applicant be
active (or interested) in the life of the
church (not necessarily Mennonite) and
have a fair command of the English
language to qualify.

Forward coupon to:
Mennonite World Conference
International Subscription Fund
528 E. Madison St.
Lombard, IL 60148

Date
Name
Address
City
Country

Congregation
Affiliation

Address

Verified by
Representative

signature

title or relationship

20

August, September, October, 1982

Letters That Have Been

Written a Thousand
Times (but never mailed)

by David W. Augsburger

As a listener, | overhear fragments of unwritten letters that lie undelivered in the
deadletter memory vaults of colleagues, counselees, critics and other Christians. The
most fascinating and troubling are the letters that reach out in or for repentance.

“Dear ____—SSSSSSs~ Mennonite Church:

Perhaps you will not remember me. During the forties | was held
back from Communion because | owned a radio. As an Ex-Menno |
listened faithfully to the Mennonite Hour over that same radio in the
fifties and sixties. | used to wonder if I’d ever hear from the leaders
who wrote me off the membership lists, but I’ve learned that only
individuals are expected to repent, not institutions . . .”

A letter unsent is a letter filed for future review, or buried for forced forgetting.
Either way the dialogue remains unfinished. The repressed is repossessed in times of
stress. When there is no repentance, the reserved is retrieved and resented.

“Dear _______ sd Mennonite High School:

Each year at graduation time | recall the spring my class received
their diplomas from your institution. | was not among them. | had been
expelled three weeks before Commencement for bringing a birthday
cake into the dining hall against school rules. Although | have since
served on the school’s fund-raising committees, | have not heard a
word of concern for making this old wrong right. . .”

A letter uncomposed is an emotion decomposing. Disappointment denied turns
from depression to despair, anger to apathy, negation to negativism. But concerns
expressed can make contact, and it is in such contact that life is lived, feelings are felt,
thoughts touch as meanings meet. But where persons choose inaction over interaction
they pass one another 2

“Dear

As | look back over the years | served as dean of students at
______——r College, | am amazed, amused, embarrassed and at times
deeply sad about some of the choices we made to control, censure,
exclude, condemn students over what time has shown us were issues of
taste, cultural preference, ethnic practice. But the injuries inflicted, and
the injustices done, such as to you, haunt my memories .. .”

Repentant words have surprising power to bring people back into touch with each
other and with their true selves. When we reapproach each other, recognizing the walls
of old judgments, the barriers of bitterness, the ruins of resentment, the empty spaces
of passive resignation, prey become more penetrable, understandable, forgivable.

“Dear. = a

If | could take back words, paragraphs, whole sermons saben
I’d eagerly do so. The years | was your pastor, | lived under guilt, |
relied on guilt to move my audience. If | could remove the burdens |
placed on people’s consciences .. .”

Letters unwritten, unmailed, unread slowly collect between us. If written in the ink
of shame and stamped with guilt, they would do even less for us than their absence.
Healing repentance arises more out of a yearning for regaining open relationship than
from a need for release from inner pangs from the past. Joyfully liberating letters of
candid confession can bring us together in the mirth of calling the past what it was and
calling to each other now,

The tragedy, the comedy, the humanity, the fallibility of humans and of human
communities is best accepted, celebrated, and redirected when
we are able to lay aside our drivenness toward perfection, our
pretensions of perfectability, our embarrassed concealment of
all the ways we stumbled along the way to sainthood, and
smile at Ourselves, and with each other.

fy

David and Nancy Augsburger recently spent two months in Asia.
David is associate professor of pastoral care and counseling at the
Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries in Elkhart, Indiana, and the
author of many books about communication and relationships.

international quiz :

Check Your
Knowledge of the
Churches of Asia!

by Paul N. Kraybill

1. Mennonite foreign mission activity first began in Indonesia, and resulted in what is
now the largest Mennonite group in Asia, the Evangelical Church of Java (GIT)).
Can you choose the correct sending church and the year?

a) Mennonite Brethren; North America — 1873; b) Mennonites of USSR — 1867
c) Dutch Mennonite Mission Association — 1851

2. Name the city of Asia in which an important Anabaptist scholar’s library is located.
a) Tokyo; b) Calcutta; c) Seoul

3. A Mennonite related group in India participates in Mennonite World Conference
even though its founding body does not.

True or False.

4. Name the president of Mennonite World Conference and the country and con-
ference from which he comes.

5. Which of these capital cities have Mennonite congregations?

a) Jakarta; b) Manila; c) Tokyo; d) Ho Chi Minh City; e) Taipei

6. Which conference in Asia was not founded by missionaries but is now a growing
church and is sending out many of its own people as missionaries?

a) General Conference Mennonite Church of India; b) Japan Mennonite Brethren

Church; c) Bihar Mennonite Church; d) United Muria Indonesia Christian
Church

7. Can you name the country in which each of these Mennonite conferences is
located?

b) Nihon Menonaito

a) Nihon Kirisuto Keiteidan Yamaguchi-ken, Kvogikai;
d) Nihon

Burezaren Kyodan; c) Nihon Menonaito Kirisuto Kyokai Kaigi;
Menonaito Kirisuto Kyokai Kyogikai
8. Match the names of these Mennonite leaders with the country in which they live.

A. S. Djojodihardjo 1. Taiwan
B. Takanobu Tojo 2. Australia
C. Timothy Liao 3. Vietnam
D. Nguyen Quang Trung 4. Indonesia
E. Foppe Brouwer 5. Japan

9. Organized Mennonite mission work in China began in which year?

a) 1927; b) 1898; c) 1912
10. Where does Asia rank in terms of continental Mennonite membership?
a) second; b) fourth; c) fifth
11. Which one of the following languages is not used by Mennonite congregations in
India?
a) Hindi; b) Bengali; c) Telegu; d) Santali; e) Oraon; f) Swahili

Which nation of the world has the largest population of Muslims, and is also home
to a large Mennonite population?
a) Indonesia; b) Japan; c) Iran

a2

(Answers on page 22.)

Paul Kraybill is Executive Secretary for Mennonite World Conference.

Experience the history of St.
Jacobs by visiting The
Meetingplace ... a unique
tourist information centre
utilizing a well-documented
multi-media presentation that

presents an accurate account
of Mennonite history and
lifestyle. Bus groups welcome.

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tourist information centre

May - Oct.

Mon. - Friday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m.-7: 30 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m.-6 p.m.

33 King Street, St. Jacobs
664-3518

When traveling through Ontario
this year....

. we'd like to welcome you to Elmira and
St. Jacobs. Whether you are interested in
scenery Or in antiques, whether you’ like
shopping or hiking, taking pictures or just
meeting people, there is plenty to see and to do
in the area.

Take time to discover the many craft and gift
shops in the historic St. Jacobs Country Mill.

And while you are there, a visit to the Stone
Crock restaurants is always ‘‘in good taste.”’

"the STONE CROCK

Restaurant & Gift Shop
Now in two locations:
King Street, St. Jacobs, Ontario NOB 2NO
Phone: (519) 664-2286
and
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Phone: (519) 669-1521

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Festival Quarterly 21

Answers

1. c) Dutch Mennonite Mission Associ-
ation — 1851

2. a) The library of Robert Friedmann,
Anabaptist scholar, is housed in the
Mennonite Center in Tokyo.

3. True. The India United Missionary
Church with headquarters in Calcutta
is a member of MWC; the related
North American body is not.

4. Charles Christano, Kudus, Indonesia,
a member of the United Muria In-
donesia Christian Church.

5. All of them!

6. d) United Muria Indonesia Christian

Church
. All are located in Japan.
Bat Ac 435 Bes Gola Does
9. The China Mennonite Mission
Society was founded in 1912.

10. a) second

11. f) Swahili

12. a) Indonesia

N

(Questions on page 21.)

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ely v

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wou Ww VM LY le

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otal hr se '

Nedelya/Moscow

IDs August, September, October, 1982

publishing notes _

@ Two new Canadian journals are on the
drawing board. Conrad Grebel College of
Waterloo, Ontario has scheduled the release of
the first issue of the Conrad Grebel Review: A
Journal of Christian Inquiry for December,
1982. It is planned to have 3 issues yearly, with
approximately 100 pages per issue. The editor,
Walter Klaassen, and managing editor Dave
Kroeker have as goals to provide a “scholarly
forum” for current ethical and theological
issues. Articles, book discussions and
opportunities for dialogue will be designed to
serve Mennonite scholars and professionals
within Canada and beyond.

e A second new Canadian magazine is the
Canadian Mennonite Journal. Several papers
presented at a June ’82 meeting in Toronto,
Ontario of Mennonite scholars on the subject
of Mennonite Studies will be published in the
Canadian Mennonite Journal. Subjects
covered by the papers presented were:
psychology, early 20th century immigrants to
Ontario, geography, development of
Mennonite literature, politics and the writing
of Mennonite history in Canada.

@ Ron Kraybill, director of Mennonite
Conciliation Services, established by the Peace
Section of Mennonite Central Committee has
written Repairing the Breach: Ministering in
Community Conflict. Previousiy issued as an
in-house publication of MCC, it is now a 1982
release of the Mennonite Publishing House,
Scottdale, PA. Written out of Kraybill’s own
personal experience, Repairing the Breach tells
stories of community conflicts, gives suggested
procedures for mediating disputes between
individuals, procedural guidelines for
approaching congregational conflict, and calls
for the realization that making peace is central
to Christian existence.

@ Herald Press, Scottdale, PA. has issued
Mennonite author John M. Drescher’s newest
book, Why I Am a Conscientious Objector.
This 80-page book is an expansion of
Drescher’s Christianity Today article, stating his
personal view of Christ’s teachings on non-
violence and non-retaliation.

@ Native Ojibways of Red Lake, Ontario now
have their own songbook printed in both
syllabics and Roman script. Developed by
Northern Light Gospel Mission and supported
by conservative Mennonites in several states
the songbook, entitled Nikamonan, is in its
second edition with 153 hymns, ten of which
are new.

e@ In the line of small cookbooks including
Peppernuts, Festive Breads of Easter and Festive
Cakes of Christmas, there is now Festive
Cookies of Christmas. Recipes include ones
from all around the world and are published by
Herald Press, of Scottdale, PA.

@ The Dancing Sun is a new, multicultural
anthology including Mennonite writer Susan
Hiebert’s story, “Anton Penner’s Noodle
Soup,” published by press porcepic, Itd., in
Canada.

® Celebrate Jubilee! is a four week lesson plan
including puppet play, Bible stories, and group
activities for intergenerational learning. The
study packet is published by Jubilee Crafts, a

non-profit ministry of The Other Side

magazine, located in Philadelphia.

@ Pinchpenny Press of Goshen College, IN,
released Kenton Beachy’s cookbook, Whole
Heart Cookbook: A Guide to Healthy Eating, in
March of 1982. Beachy is asenior at the College
and grew up as a child of Mennonite
missionaries in India. His cookbook is an
attempt to help cooks use food as naturally as
possible.

e A second, revised edition of A History of the
Mennonite Brethren Church by the late John
A. Toews includes a new cover design by Rod
Harder, Mennonite artist from California, and
the revised section on the MB church in Latin
America, written by Marie Friesen of
Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is printed by the
Mennonite Brethren Publishing House in
Hillsboro, KS.

e In the fall of 1981, the University of Toronto
Press published Encyclopedia of Music in
Canada, a more than 1,000 page book edited by
Helmut Kallmann, Gilles Potvin and Kenneth
Winters. Approximately two dozen articles
treat the subject of Mennonites and their
music. Listed are institutions such as Canadian
Mennonite Bible College, Mennonite
Brethren Bible College, performing groups
such as the Mennonite Children’s Choir and
individual Mennonite musicians. Helen
Martens, author of articles on Amish and
Hutterites, is included with her article titled
“The Mennonites.”

e A 1982 calendar compiled and published by
James O. Lehman of Harrisonburg, VA is a day-
by-day telling of bits and pieces from the
history of his family from Wayne County, OH.
Included are numerous photographs.

e December, 1982 is the projected publication
date for Pilgrimage of a Congregation. The
book, to be published by Faith and Life Press of
Newton, KS, will contain approximately 400
pages and 100 photos of the history of the First
Mennonite Church of Berne, IN and is
compiled by Naomi Lehman.

© Out-Spokin’, formerly a ministry of the
Mennonite Board of Missions in Elkhart, IN,
has compiled a “do-it-yourself”? manual for
planning group-oriented hiking and biking
tours. The 235-page manual, entitled Christian
Community on the Move, is a summary of 15
years of experiential learnings throughout
Out-Spokin’s history.

e Helen Good Brenneman’s book,
Meditations for the New Mother, published by
Herald Press of Scottdale, PA, has reached its
35th printing.

@ More than 30 years ago, Mennonite author
Mary Emma Showalter compiled the now-
classic Mennonite Community Cookbook.
Time-Life Books, Inc. has just been granted
permission by the Cookbook’s publisher,
Herald Press of Scottdale, PA, to reprint two of
its cookie recipes in the forthcoming volume,
The Good Cook/Cookies and Crackers.

® More-with-Less Cookbook, a Herald Press
publication, will soon reach 430,000 copies in
print in its 29th printing.

mennonite books: in review

Facing Up to Nuclear War, Don
Kraybill. Herald Press, 1982. 304 pages.
$8.95.

Reviewed by Roy Vogt

Breaking Silence, Ferne Pellman
Glick and Donald R. Pellman. Herald
Press, 1982. 208 pages. $6.95.

Reviewed by Wilfred Martens

ik
‘
:
\

Mennonites in Canada, 1920-
1940: A People’s Struggle for

Survival, Frank H. Epp. Macmillan of
Canada and Herald Press, 1982. 656 pages.
021.95.

Reviewed by David J. Smucker

We are beginning to face up to the
real possibility of a disastrous nuclear war
in our generation. Don Kraybill wants us
to know just how imminent and tragic that
possibility is. On the whole he succeeds
very well. His book is designed especially
for those who know little about nuclear
armaments and their effects. The whole
discussion is framed by a thoughtful
Christian perspective. Of the dozens of
books on this subject this is one of the
most readable and useful that | have seen.

Kraybill writes as an absolute
Christian pacifist. This often lends force to
his presentation. However, for those of us
who are not absolute pacifists — and he
wants very much to address us — Kraybill
fails to do justice to some of our concerns
and questions. The “just war” argument,
for example, may not be valid in a nuclear
age (and! don’t think it is) but having
introduced it Kraybill should examine it
more thoughtfully than he does. He is

In Breaking Silence a parent shares
the challenge of raising two children with
a disability — twins who were born deaf.

The story is told from a mother’s
point of view, about Craig and Carson,
from birth through their college years. It is

open and sensitive, filled with joy,
frustration, anger, pain, hope, and
despair.

For readers who are looking for a
handbook on the deaf, this book will not
do. It has few answers. But those are its
strengths. It is an account of a mother —
reflections, stories, conversations,
debates, arguments — who seeks help in
raising two unique sons. It provides
valuable insights into the problems that
parents of disabled children face:
conflicting medical advice, bureaucratic
bungling, lack of proper services, and so
forth.

After nearly twenty years the parents
discover that the boys were

In this important and comprehensive
history Frank Epp provides the standard
text on the institutions and
cultural/religious orientations of
Canadian Mennonites during the inter-
war decades. He covers the entire
territory with a sociologist’s passion for
describing groups, an historian’s delight
in narrative and the impetus to
understand his own heritage.

Concerning internal affairs, Epp gives
detailed statistics, including a list of all
Canadian Mennonite congregations
during this period. One learns about the
complex negotiations required for both
the massive immigration from Russia and
the emigration to Latin America by
Mennonites who could not find a desired
separation from Canadian culture. Chief
negotiator David Toews emerges in
several chapters as the hero of this saga.

Epp is equally astute in outlining how
Canadian politics and culture impinged
on Mennonite attempts to fashion their

quite right about warning us that madmen
in power may inadvertently push the
nuclear button, but he might also point
out the safeguards against capricious
action that the U.S. at least has tried to
install. The writing is emotionally in tune
with the subject, but sometimes there is
overkill. But that is a minor lapse. On a
scale of 1 to 10 | would give this book a
solid 8 or 9. ae

Roy Vogt teaches economics at the
University of Manitoba, is a member of the
Economic Council of Canada, and publisher of
The Mennonite Mirror.

FQ price — $7.15
(Regular price — $8.95)

misdiagnosed. As a result of this the boys
were placed in difficult educational and
training settings.

The story concludes on a positive
note: the two young men make a
transition into “normal” society. As one
doctor summarized, ‘Your case is one
where everything went wrong — and
everything turned out right!”

The book is interesting and well-
written. Its “confessional” tone is not
indulgent, but refreshing. One minor
problem, however, is the lack of a clear
time-frame throughout the story.

This book makes a _ positive
contribution to the world of disability. It
will help readers grow in understanding
deafness and its challenges.

Wilfred Martens, a novelist and poet is
Professor of English at Fresno (California)
Pacific College.

FQ price — $5.55
(Regular price — $6.95)

strategies of separation from the wider
culture — _ institutionally (eg. private
schools), geographically (eg. settlement
in a remote area), ethically (eg. non-
resistance and non-conformity),
culturally (eg. retention of High and Low
German) and chronologically (eg.
dispensational theology which relegated
the kingdom to a future age).

Though not written pedantically, the
hefty length and occasionally tedious
details might discourage the general
public. Perhaps a longer period from 1920
to 1960 would have offered grist for a
more conclusive interpretation. Could we
hope for a single interpretive volume
after the final book in Frank Epp’s epic
series on Canadian Mennonite history?

David J. Smucker is the genealogist at the
Lancaster (PA) Mennonite Historical Society.

FQ price — $19.75
(Regular price — $21.95)

Festival Quarterly 23

mennonite books: in review .

Nicole Visits an Amish Farm,
Merle Good and Erika Stone. Walker and
Co., 1982. 47 pages. $8.95.

Reviewed by Marjorie Waybill

It isn’t always necessary to get on a
plane or ship and cross the ocean to finda
land where everything is new and strange.
For Nicole who lived in New York City the
new strange land was Lancaster County in
eastern Pennsylvania. She and other city
children were invited to spend two whole
weeks with Amish families on their large
farms. Fortunately for Nicole her Amish
family included a girl her own age named
Charity.

Nicole knew right away she would
like Charity even though she and her
mother were dressed differently from
anyone she had ever seen and had much
lighter skin than she.

The photos and words of this book
are so descriptively alive that readers will
imagine they are walking barefoot with
Nicole and Charity through the lush
farmland, hearing the sounds of birds and
cows or riding down the narrow lane with
Uncle Levi in his black and gray buggy.

Nicole Visits an Amish Farm gives
children and adults an inside look at
Amish farm life, their work and play and
their food and family life.

An interesting sequel to this book
would be for Charity to visit Nicole in her
New York home, to hear the honking of
the taxi horns and enjoy a ride on the
subway train. Perhaps Erika Stone and
Merle Good can provide that gift for
children.

Marjorie Waybill, Scottdale, Pennsylvania,
is editor of Story Friends and Associate Editor of
Children’s Curriculum at the Mennonite
Publishing House.

FQ price — $7.15
(Regular price — $8.95)

Christians in Families: Genesis

and Exodus, Ross T. Bender. Herald
Press, 1982. 192 pages. $7.95.

Reviewed by Wally Kroeker

Scarcely a month passes without the
appearance of yet another book on
Christian marriage and families. Often
these books are glibly superficial, offering
little to those who want to be honestly
biblical while still addressing the real
concerns of the sexual revolution.
Bender’s book transcends this genre.
Christians in Families explores the impact
of the sexual revolution, evaluating its
assumptions in the light of biblical faith.

Bender helpfully organizes an
enormous amount of recent scholarly
comment on gender roles, sexuality and
the family, casting it into biblical
categories such as covenant and kingdom
mission. God’s covenant intention for
married couples, asserts Bender, is that
each partner seeks not primarily her or his
own good but that of the covenant
partner. Christian families, meanwhile,
are to be “colonies of heaven in an alien
world... a little community in which the

love of the covenanting God is incarnated
in human relationship.”

The occasionally plodding and
preachy style may tire readers weaned on
more popular fare. Yet there is a wealth of
material digested here for the thoughtful
inquirer.

This book will not by itself undo the
damage and confusion done by the
faddish pop/evangelical or “chain of
command” school. But it is a welcome
start in sorting out a wholesome, biblical
view of our roles as sexual, procreating
and familial creatures in a bewildering
society.

Wally Kroeker is editor of the Christian
Leader, Hillsboro, Kansas.

FQ price — $6.35
(Regular price — $7.95)

God’s Design: A Focus on Old

Testament Theology, Elmer
Martens. Baker, 1981. 271 pages. $12.95.

Reviewed by Millard C. Lind

24 August, September, October, 1982

What should be the focus or “center”
of an Old Testament Theology? Martens
correctly holds that a biblical theology
should be derived exegetically, and so he
derives a grid from Exodus 5:22—6:8:
God’s design or purpose for his people is
deliverance, Covenant Community, the
knowledge of God, and land.

| found the discussion on Covenant
Community and the discussion on land to
be superb. In my opinion, Martens’
treatment of Yahweh’s warfare and
human kingship are both inadequate. The
related topic of kingship might also be
debated. Biblical statements critical of
political power are unique in extant Near
Eastern literature. They should not be
toned down, especially not since they
break with the Near East and move toward
Jesus’ radical turning upside down of the
concept of political leadership.

Martens correctly holds that there
are tensions in Old Testament thought,

and that one should not harmonize these
tensions away.
In this book is a coming together to

some extent of Evangelical and critical

approaches, especially since the latter are
beginning to emphasize canon criticism.

This book should make good reading
for serious laymen and for college
students. Martens is conversant with the
Biblical text, with Near Eastern literature,
and with a wide body of secondary
literature. He writes simply, and with fresh
insight, making his book of value even to
the Biblical student.

Millard C. Lind is professor of Old
Testament at the Assogated Mennonite
Biblical Seminaries in Elkhart, Indiana.

FQ price — $11.65
(Regular price — $12.95)

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Facing Up to Nuclear War (Kraybill), paper G05 ter 57515
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paper 6.95 oho
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(Epp), cloth 23.954 19.75
Nicole Visits an Amish Farm (Good and
Stone), cloth 8.95 7.15
Christians in Families (Bender), paper 7.95 6.35
__.___. God’s Design: A Focus on Old Testament
Theology (Martens) 12.95 11.65
—______ Why I am a Conscientious Objector
(Drescher), paper 2.95 2.35
_______ Pa. Dutch Cookbooks: Breads 1:95 1.55
Pa. Dutch Cookbooks: Cookies 1.95 1.55
Pa. Dutch Cookbooks: Meats 1.95 1.55
Pa. Dutch Cookbooks: Pies 1.95 1355
Pa. Dutch Cookbooks: Soups 1.95 1.55
Pa. Dutch Cookbooks: Vegetables
(Good and Pellman), paper 4.95 1.55
______ The Other Side of Sorrow (Derksen
and Nash), paper 4.95 4.45

B. Past Offers
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Shenk), paper 7.95 6.35
_____ Out of Mighty Waters (Shenk), paper 6.95 5.55
______ Islam and Christianity (Kateregga and
Shenk), paper 795 6.35
_____. Perils of Professionalism (Kraybill and
Good), paper 9.95 7.95
—____— Language of Canaan and Grammar of Feminism
(Eller), paper 3.95 YN he Paces Pecan aes es
—___ Czars, Soviets, and Mennonites (Toews), paper 10.95 8:75; fe S2ee
______ Single Voices (Yoder and Yoder), paper 6.95 5.55
_____. God Rescues His People (MacMaster) 5.95 4.75
The Electronic Giant (Hoover), paper 6.95 5.55
C. Books as Advertised
Page 29: From Word to Life (Yoder), paper 12.95 12.95
Page 29: Repairing the Breach (Kraybill), paper 3.95 3.95
Page 29: Caring Enough to Hear and Be Heard
(Augsburger), paper 4.95 4.95
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mennonite books: in review

Why I am a Conscientious

Objector, John M. Drescher. Herald
Press, 1982. 80 pages. $2.95.

Reviewed by Alice W. Lapp

Breads, Cookies, Meats, Pies,
Soups, Vegetables: Pennsyl-

vania Dutch Cookbooks, Phyllis
Good and Rachel Pellman, editors. Good
Books, 1982. 36 pages each. $1.95 each.

Reviewed by Lois Friesen

These Pennsylvania Dutch
Cookbooks, featuring Breads, Cookies,
Meats, Pies, Vegetables, and Soups, coffer
attractively designed, practical guides for

gandy Derksen win Connie Nash

The Other Side of Sorrow, Sandy
Derksen with Connie Nash. Augsburg
Publishing House, 1982. 124 pages. $4.95.

Reviewed by Levi Miller

John Drescher, pastor, teacher, and
author explains how he became a
conscientious objector. His reasons are
Biblical, not cultural. He identifies several
kinds of pacifism and explains the
approaches used by various Christian
groups to justify war and then lists four
criteria Christians use as guidelines for
whether or not to participate in war. He
says that to take seriously the truth that
Jesus is God’s final message means that
one dare not say, “Love your enemies
(except in wartime);” “Do not resist an
evil person (except in wartime).”’

For the first two or three hundred
years of Christianity there was no record
of Christians serving in the army. But
when Constantine and later Augustine
gave Christianity the official support of
the State, then began the fall of the
Church for it began to justify war.

Evangelism is reversed by war. If one
destroys a Christian, he kills the one that

vas | ie
any cook interested in the hearty, down-
to-earth fare of the Lancaster County
Amish and Mennonites.

If afew cooks are unimpressed by the
absence of “exotic” ingredients (they may
consider the Meats rather plain), they will
probably admit that the Chicken Corn
Rivel Soup is delicious and Stewed
Pretzels are uniquely Dutch. While Baked
Dried Corn or Fried Tomatoes may appear
ordinary, Libby’s Spinach Potatoes and
the Asparagus Loaf are worth trying.
Although the Breads book presents

On August 18, 1976, Rachel Derksen
died at her home in Fresno, California.
She was a victim of a drowning accident
which had occurred at a neighbor’s
backyard pool. The three year old girl was
a vivacious youngster whose death was
deeply felt by the family and community.

The story of how the family dealt with
this tragedy was told in several magazine
articles. The Derksens built their own
coffin, and the funeral and memorial
service were quite participatory. It is a
story of grief, guilt, anger, forgiveness,
and some sense of order and grace.

Yet, for all the sensitivity of this
Christian family, | find the book
disappointing and dissatisfying. It’s still a
magazine article with several scenes of
extended Africa and North Carolina and
Oregon inserted. | would have liked to
know more about how they arrived at the
decision to put Rachel in a nursing facility
for a few weeks. Why did they bring her

scripture says is his brother. If one
destroys a non-Christian, the victim has
no further opportunity to find salvation.

Furthermore, just because God
ordains a government doesn’t mean that
God approves of every government act.

People of any age or sex can clarify
their thinking about the contradictions
between the Christlike way of life and the
chaos of any war for any reason as they
read this helpful volume.

Alice W. Lapp, Goshen, Indiana, is an
English teacher and active as a church and
community volunteer.

FQ price — $2.35
(Regular price — $2.95)

tested recipes, cooks may wish to check
the following: for the White Bread, try 9”
pans; check both rising times (two hours
may be too long); for the Whole Wheat
Bread, try 8” pans; and for the Corn Pone,
lessen the sugar.

Most interesting are the Cookies and
Pies books with sour cream adding flavor
to the Chocolate Chips and mashed
carrots enhancing the Golden Nuggets.
Included with the traditional pies are two
more special ones — Green Tomato and
Ground-Cherry, complemented by Sour
Cream Apple and Sour Cream Raspberry.

These basic recipes produce
satisfying, tasty foods as well as pleasant
memories.

Lois Friesen, who grew up ona Pa. Dutch
diet, now lives in Towanda, Kansas, where she
teaches at a community college and conducts
occasional cooking classes.

FQ price — $1.55 each

(Regular price — $1.95 each)

home? Who are Wilf and Sandy Derksen
beyond religious Christian people who
are residents of asuburban community in
Fresno? Does not death tie us into
generations gone by? What are their
religious and family roots?

For those who are looking for a brief
sketch of how a person came to terms
with a tragic death, this book will interest
them. However, | found too much time
spent on the obvious, and not enough on
the type of questions | was asking.

Levi Miller and his family recently went to
Caracus, Venezuela, to join the Mennonite
fellowship there in ministry.

FQ price — $4.45
(Regular price — $4.95)

Festival Quarterly 27

MF a”
0G ae

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Write for brochure or

visit our showroom at

20 South Market Street

Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Phone: 717/367-4728

28 August, September, October, 1982

| family creations

A Family List

by Jewel Showalter

“Hey, look, there’s a woodpecker of
some kind,’ Chad’s hushed eager voice
drew us all to the window.

| reached for the bird book and just
about the time we had identified the bird
as a Grey or Olive Woodpecker he flew
off to a distant tree.

Another day as we bussed to Nairobi
from Thika (our home for the past three
months) the children suddenly spotted
two Crowned Cranes browsing in a near-
by meadow. “Look, Mommy, look,”
Matthew yelled to the delight of the
Kenyan passengers who are constantly
amused by our interest in nature.

Yes, since coming to Kenya we’ve
joined the ranks of the bird watchers — a
fascinating new family hobby.

We were first introduced to this

.at least two
family members have
to see the bird to be
certain of
identification before it

can be added to the
life list.

family pasttime while visiting the Herb
Kraybill family, missionaries in Ethiopia
for some 14 years. A hike up a nearby
mountain took on new interest as we
spotted and identified two different kinds
of Wheeling Kites. A stroll toaswamplake
in the valley behind their home added
two new water birds to their life list.

Sharon said, “Whenever we have a
few spare minutes to do something
together we’ll grab binoculars and bird
book and take a walk. It’s always a
highlight when we can add a new bird to
our life list.”

She also explained the rule that at
least two family members have to see the
bird to be certain of identification before
it can be added to the life list.

Our family never studied birds
seriously while | was a child, but I’ll never
forget the glimpse we caught of the
Paradise Fly Catcher with his long white
tail streaming out behind him as we hiked
by a forest-bordered stream.

| loved to lie on my bunk and watch
the brilliant yellow Sparrow Weavers
fashion their intricate oval nests in the
swaying oleander bushes outside my
bedroom window.

And | met a Hawk when he swooped
low one day to snatch an orange from my
hands.

Some knowledge of nature, even
superficial, adds a new dimension to life.
Now instead of just taking a walk — we
take a bird walk and find ourselves
noticing details we had missed earlier —
like the pile of white speckled black
feathers most likely from some type of
guinea fowl or a Sacred Ibis winging
overhead.

We’re just new at it so often see birds
we can’t identify — and blame the bird
book — but it’s areal thrill to see a bird we
can identify with certainty and mark down
with the date and place on our family life
list.

For now we'll work on our East
African bird list, but | suspect this hobby
will be so catching we'll want to begin a
stateside list as well.

One bright morning we took a family
walk singing morning songs and quoting
psalms. Suddenly Richard whispered,
“Look!” We followed his finger and saw
between the waving grasses a pair of
Crowned Cranes. Quietly we stalked

them and watched in awe — the sun
sparkling gold on their white cheek
through

patches, shimmering
feathered crests.
We joined hands

their

and prayed with
Rhoda, “Thank you
God for making

Crowned Cranes.”

Jewel Showalter and her family are on
assignment near Nairobi, Kenya, with an
African Independent Church group.

Herald Press:
Recommended Summer

Reading

Out of Mighty

Waters

Lois Landis Shenk takes the
reader into the turbulent and
distressing world of the insane. In
the end, she finds drug-free
wholeness and a deep and
abiding faith. “I find great wisdom
in Lois Landis Shenk’s search for
truth... . You will suffer with Lois
and then rejoice with her over the
astounding fact that correcting a
chemical imbalance in her system
could bring her to healthy
maturity.’ —Anna B. Mow.
Quality paperback $6.95

in Canada $8.35

Hardcover $10.95

in Canada $13.15

Re
f ol

>

God Rescues His
People

Eve MacMaster’s second
volume in the Herald Story Bible
Series tells how God’s family
becomes the nation of Israel and
how Moses, the servant of God,
leads God’s people out of slavery
in Egypt. Carefully researched,
these stories from Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy are faithful to the
scriptural account in form and
content.

Quality paperback $5.95

in Canada $7.15

Single Voices

Imo Jeanne Yoder and Bruce
Yoder edited this call for
dialogue. “Regardless of your
marital status, you will find Single
Voices one of the best books
available on the ‘single life’—
refreshing, stimulating. thought-
provoking, and genuinely
helpful.” —Jerry Jones, editor,
Solo magazine.

Quality paperback $6.95

in Canada $8.35

From Word to Life

Perry Yoder provides a
complete guide to the modern,
inductive study of the Bible. “Few
books on Bible study method
explain how and show how. Fewer
still seek to do this by utilizing
current biblical scholarship while
writing for informed lay-people.
Virtually no books with this
objective demonstrate a
competent grasp of both the
linguistic and historical schools of
biblical interpretation. From Word
to Life fills the gap with this
distinctive contribution.”
—Willard M. Swartley

Quality paperback $12.95

in Canada $15.55

616 Walnut Avenue
Scottdale, PA

Perils of
Professionalism

Donald B. Kraybill (author of
the National Religious Book
Award winning The Upside-Down
Kingdom) and Phyllis Pellman
Good (author of Paul and Alta)
edited this look at the relationship
between the Christian faith and
the professions. What effect does
one’s faith have on setting fees,
protecting monopolies,
maintaining professional
distance? Are there subtle ways
that professionalism can subvert
Christian faith?

Quality paperback $9.95

in Canada $11.95

WhyI Ama
Conscientious
Objector

“John Drescher

unapologetically shares his
conviction and the biblical basis
for an evangelical pacifism. He
presents a clear call for Christians
to give priority to the life of Christ
as a way of peace... . He sets
peacemaking in the context of our
evangelical mission to win all
persons, including our enemies, to
become brothers and sisters in
Christ.”—from the introduction by
Myron Augsburger.

Paper $2.95

in Canada $3.55

Repairing the

Breach: Ministering

in Community

Conflict

Ronald S. Kraybill reviews the
alternative means for resolving
community conflict. Conflict
between groups, between
individuals, and within a group are
dealt with. This “how to” book
provides guidance for a
“peacemaker-mediator.”

Paper $3.95

in Canada $4.75

Caring Enough to
Hear and Be Heard
David Augsburger’s latest
“caring enough” book helps
readers understand the two sides
of dialogue essential to clear
communications—listening and
speaking, hearing and being
heard. Improve your
communication skills.

Paper $4.95

in Canada $5.95

Herald Press
Dept. FQ

®

pai

117 King Street West
Kitchener, ON

15683 N2G 4M5

LAURELVILLE WELCOMES YOU
Join us for SYMPOSIUM II, December 27-30. Explore in depth ,
what may be the ultimate peace issue: Yocoboueé

CONSERVATION/ECOLOGY: A MENNONITE MANDATE

Papers by John A. Lapp, Calvin Redekop, Mary Beth Lina,
Franklin Bishop, Al Keim, Ron Gingerich, John Ruth and
others. Biblical and historical perspectives will help to identify
the future shape of this mandate. Ample time for discussion
and consensus building. Register now.

by James and Jeanette Krabill

MONDAY. Our third week in the village
of Yocoboué. The beginning of rainy
season. The sky sprung a great leak. As did
LAURELVILLE MENNONITE CHURCH CENTER our roof. Scvéralinface Oneane study.
R. 5, Bx 145, Mt. Pleasant, PA 15666 Above our desk. Four in the bedroom.
Telephone: 412-423-2056 Above the bed. Slept between buckets.
Sort of slept. James came down with
malaria. First time in four years. Spent the
day in bed. Between buckets. Still no

Contact:

. WHEN VISITING HISTORIC LANCASTER n be
Pipe Organs COUNTY .. . . enjoy breakfast in our Pantry, electricity in the house. Need ten takers in
f and lunch and dinner at one of the many the village before the company will come
for Churches and Chapels ot. es der ie: Tours leave Uwie and install it. No water either. Except in
ie SO aily ... and you'll return to your : ,
with tracker action in simple immaculately clean room, even overlooking the te ag ; Bea Ten coe 7
A p Mill Stream if you request. Five miles east of ucket. Actually tOO expensive Dy 1!0Ca
and reliable construction. Lancaster on Rt. 896, between 30 and 340. standards but since it’s for the whites. And
Brunzema Organs INC. eS 717/299-0931. since “whites are all rich. Especially you
04 * .)
596 Glengarry Crescent South ATA: Americans.

, wr, ~~)!
Be tue pare L4e7 TUESDAY. Two members of the church
cae OWE MILL STREAM stopped by early morning to see if James

was feeling better. ‘““Couldn’t go out to
(519) 843-5450 j MOTOR LODGE the fields with a heart at peace without

checking to see that all was well.”” Making
friends. Being on the receiving end. All
too rare for us whites who “have so much
to offer.” Still haven’t solved the rat
4 problem. Nibbled tupperware, flip-flops,
A quiet, relaxing atmo- cardboard boxes. And soap. Scurrying

sphere for your group’s re- about at night in rafters overhead. Tried
treats. Each of our motel two kinds of poison. Rats loved it. As

much as the soap. Keep coming back for
rooms offer DD phones, more. Local mason has promised to show

color TV, and Inn Room cof- J up tomorrow and fill in holes. That makes
fee. Acres of lawn, play- five consecutive days he has promised to
ground, tennis and volleyball show up tomorrow. Maybe next week.

courts, game room, and indoor pool are all for your bei Fas DY ee ae
enjoyment. ; |

Cat j ; explain we weren’t the local clinic.
Our restaurant specializes in good “home cooking”
including daily local specialties. Banquet and meeting WEDNESDAY. Morning Bible classes.

rooms are available for up to 275 persons. Six to eight students. Eight to ten o'clock.
Lots of questions. (‘““We say that it is the

sorcerers who drink the blood of their
enemies to destroy them and deprive
them of power. Why then would we want
to drink the blood of our friend Jesus?’’)
No immediate answers. Matthew’s

Aw ay ay, vocabulary becoming a mumble-jumble
4 ’ of three languages: a little French, mostly
r = il- ait English, more and more Dida—language

ae,

~ spoken in our village. Beginning to
4 q formulate complete sentences. Like

su pr iit fo! PH auUran today: “lI wanna wash the dishes.” To be
encouraged. Young man dropped by to
offer us a portion of a pig he had raised. A
Located 7 miles east of Lancaster on Route 340. Phone (717) 768-8271 nice gesture. One condition. We

transport the pig in our car from the
neighboring village.

SMOIKETOWN, PENNSYLVANIA 17576

30 August, September, October, 1982

THURSDAY. Luscious mangoes for
dinner. Two trees-full in the yard. Also an
avocado tree. A tangerine. And two
coconuts. Tropical blessings. Outside
toilet. Outside bath. Outside chance of
that changing in the next week. Just like
the “good ole days.” Young lady stopped
by. Could we take her fifteen miles to the
market. Had to explain we weren’t the
local taxi service.

FRIDAY. Friday night. Dance hall in
center village opens its doors. And its
music box. Full blast. ““Beautiful woman,
give me one more chance; beautiful
woman, give me a dance.” No one in this
French-speaking country understands
what’s being sung. But the harmony is
soothing. And the rhythm perfect for
shuffling feet. Until one or two in the
morning. Or three. Friend Dominique
came by with advice on getting rid of rats:
Dump garbage in corner of one room and
dowse with poison. Thanks Dominique.
Another friend offered cat. Leaning
toward latter proposal.

SATURDAY. Matthew not feeling well.
A little vomiting. A lot of diarrhea. Time to
de-worm him again. Neighbor boy came
to visit. Needed money for new machete.
And two cigarettes. Had to explain we
weren't the local bank.

SUNDAY. Presented two-month old
Elisabeth Anne to the Lord in the morning
service. Mother Jeanette, dressed in
traditional Dida cloth, given special
honors. A great day of rejoicing for local
church. Sang and danced us through the
village. And through the afternoon. Until
7:00 p.m. Twenty bottles of soft drink (our
choice). Forty liters of palm wine (their
choice).A truly event-

ful day. To close out
an otherwise rather
uneventful week. In

Yocoboué.
ky

James and Jeanette Krabill and their family
have moved inland in Ivory Coast to Yocoboué
where they are available to independent
African Churches.

‘second sight

By the Poolside Waiting
for the Waters to Move

by José M. Ortiz

The gathering was very unusual.
Beggars were together under the porch of
the big cathedral. During the day they
scavenged for food, begging for meager
coins and circulating in the benches of
public places. The porch of the big
cathedral was the place that provided a
roof as they shared and discussed their
common agenda, survival on a day to day
basis. At times the tone of the voices was
raised but to be silenced by the whistle of
the police charged to keep law and order.

That is the way Miguel Angel
Asturias, former president of Guatemala,
introduces his Nobel prize book F/ Sefior
Presidente. In a few majestic strokes of his
pen he introduces three Latin American
forces: the church, the poor, the public
officers.

In John 5, the Bible presents a similar
passage. The Sheep Gate in Jerusalem had
five porches. A large crowd of sick people
were lying on the porches—the blind, the
lame, the paralyzed. ‘“‘They were waiting
for the water to move, because every now
and then an angel of the Lord went down
into the pool and stirred up the water.”

There was one who had been sick for
38 long years, a very long time since life
expectancy at the time of Jesus was
approximately 28 years. The pool with its
porches, the religious feast at Jerusalem
and the legends about the stirring up of
the waters were part of a circus that was
taking place while the “faithful” paid
their dues to tradition at the expense of
human suffering and change.

The gospel of John and Miguel Angel
Asturias join pens to describe tradition
and change. At the entrance of the
cathedrals . . . human cargo lined up
waiting for a blessing from above or some
coins from the ones who are better off
who commute to church to pay their
dues. In &! Senor Presidente, the
policeman blows the whistle. In the book
of John an angel of the Lord visits to stir up
the waters. The angel breaks through the
established order and tradition and
comes forward as a messenger of change.

Human nature resists change. We
tend to cherish traditions. We have
fiddlers on our roofs, whether anglos or
Hispanics, but we need to stir up the
waters. We must enjoy the Lord’s supper
when it speaks of “in memory of Him,”
but there should be no chills when we

speak about “until He comes again.”

The time has come to stir up the
water, to raise naive questions like ‘‘Do
you want to get well?”’ Make innocent
statements like “The emperor is wearing
no clothes,” and affirm change as a gift of
prophecy. Usually we find comfort in
verses prefaced by the words “thus saith
the Lord.” We get restless when someone
says, “The Lord is saying this to me,”
which is the language of the first
generation of believers. If our liturgy is
too traditional and it is becoming nothing
but “‘the noise of solemn assemblies;” if
our black or Hispanic or other non-anglo
groups are welcomed at communion
tables to share the bread and the wine,
but removed at the tables where budgets
and decisions are made, then the time has
come to stir up the waters, to blow the
whistle.

For the ones who want to continually
stir up the waters, George C. Lodge in The
New American Ideology prescribes an
engine of change. Leadership that
promotes changes must have: authority,
when the leader speaks he or she must be
trusted and believed; ability to
communicate with, talk the language of
the most remote element he or she is
trying to affect; access to power, in order
to bring to bear the resources required for
change at the appropriate times; the
capability of providing protection to the
forces of change against the inevitable
retaliation of the status quo; and
competence, that special ability to
integrate skills of experts conscious of the
nature of the whole system in which the
change is occurring.

The book of Acts goes beyond... it
calls for power ‘“‘dunamis.”’ Not dynamite
but quite close. We
still have porches,
cathedrals,the keepers
of law and order, but
the time has come to
stir up the waters or
open our _ sacred
cathedrals.

YALL

José M. Ortiz recently. left his post as
Associate General Secretary for Latin Concerns
in the Mennonite Church and relocated in
Tampa, Florida.

Festival Quarterly 31

best-selling books: in review

Dinner at the Homesick

Restaurant, Anne Tyler. Alfred A.
Knopf, 1982. 303 pages. $13.50.

Is this just one more story of failed
people, struggling together, struggling
apart?

In a lyrical fashion Anne Tyler creates
the Tull family, whose togetherness has
about as much life as the sound of their
Pearl

name! and Beck started their

Helen Marcus

Anne Tyler

marriage with the usual hopes, followed
by many moves and the desire for
children which just didn’t come. But after
the three children arrived — Cody, Ezra,
and Jenny — Beck left, because he was still
looking for something he couldn’t quite
define. And so the characters move
through their lives, partly victims, yet
partly at fault for not being more
deliberate about their own destinies.
When one has experienced a strong
home anda general purposefulness about

life itis easy to grow angrily impatient with
drifters. One is swept with an urge to
shake these characters into responsibility
and decisiveness. None suffers from
economic want or the inequities
experienced by many minorities. Instead,
the parents’ emotional and _ spiritual
poverties are multiplied in each of the
children: Cody’s brutal greed, Jenny’s
maniacal drive, and Ezra’s sweet misery.

Tyler is an able writer. Her words
dance; she chooses her central symbol
well (the Tulls can never finish a meal
together in Ezra’s Homesick Restaurant).
The ground she covers is not new but
certainly terrifying. For the reminders it
gives, it’s worth reading.

When Bad Things Happen to

Good People, Harold S. Kushner.
Schocken Books, 1981. 149 pages. $10.95.

Rabbi Kushner writes from great
personal pain. The result is his own
testimony colored with theological
understanding.

His book is never sweet and never
evasive. Kushner cannot be glib because
he has suffered too much. When his son
Aaron was three he was diagnosed as
having progeria, a “rapidly aging”
disease. He lived until he turned 14, each
year deteriorating more.

Every human being with some sense

of commitment and goodness must
wonder at times why life is unfair, where
evil comes from, and why God appears so
silent in the face of so much grief. Job
struggled with all those questions but the
recording of that story seems
inconclusive. Kushner’s attempt, for all its
wisdom and sensitivity, leaves big gaps.

Kushner cautions suffering
individuals against trying to save God’s
reputation by piling guilt on themselves
for the trouble visiting them. But anger
against God is misspent energy also.
Maybe, Kushner suggests, some chaotic
things that happen are a result of an
imperfect creation, a few loose ends that
weren't completely tied up. Other
sadnesses come because of natural laws
which operate amorally and _ even-
handedly. God simply doesn’t intervene
in their working. Ultimately, proposes
Kushner, one must conclude that God is
not all-powerful. His omnipotence has
limits; a disquieting thought for most
believers.

Instead of seeing God as the cause of
pain, we must see him as the sustainer
through pain.

Kushner’s insights are helpful and
certainly lifting. But giving up God’s
almightiness is cashing in a pretty big chip.
Why bad things happen to good people
remains a partial mystery. Yet this try at
resolving it is wonderfully stimulating and
comforting.

Cookbooks with Personality -

32 August, September, October, 1982

Pennsylvania Dutch ~*

Ve

from Amish

wk Mennonite k

_ quarterly film ratings

Annie — Less than wonderful but better than
average musical about a poor orphan during
the 1930’s who wants to belong to somebody.
The characters lack the spark needed to make a
stagey production become a human drama. (6)

Author! Author! — A man’s liberation piece
about a playwright (Al Pacino) struggling to
cope with the raising of five kids after his wife
(Tuesday Weld) walks out. Funny, poignant,
and a bit scattered in focus. (6)

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas — A rather
dull, lifeless musical yarn about puritan
crusaders trying to close down a brothel. If Burt
Reynolds and Dolly Parton weren’t part of the
cast, and a weak part at that, this would rate asa
B-grade flop. (2)

Birgit Haas Must Be Killed — Fine acting, fast
pacing, and sympathetic scripting place this
political thriller (in French and German) several
notches above average. French agents trap a
young German woman terrorist in Germany.

(7)

Blade Runner — A visually delicious film. A mix
of Sam Spade and science fiction, set in Los
Angeles in 2019. Four genetically
manufactured humans (life span of four years)
have escaped the chores in outer space to seek
out their creator. Acting is superb. Rather
violent. (6)

Diva — A surprise. A top-notch French thriller
about a postman who loves an opera star,
illegally records her concert, and has the tape
sought by both the police and cut-throat
Capitalists. (7)

E.T. The Extra Terrestial — Deserves to become
a classic. Director Steven Spielberg captures

the wonder of our human mystery. A small,
intelligent but lovable creature from outer
space takes refuge in the bedroom of a ten-
year-old boy. The adults don’t understand; it
only makes sense to the child in all of us. (9)

Firefox — Clint Eastwood breaks his mold and
portrays a Vietnam pilot brought out of
mothballs to steal a Russian airplane which
threatens the free world. Better than expected,
but slow and slanted. (4)

Gregory’s Girl — An offbeat Scottish film about
the joys and troubles of adolescence. A tall
bumbling high school student loses his
position on the pathetic school soccer team to
a beautiful, cool, and adept girl named
Dorothy. Very funny, very likable story. (7)

La Vie Continue — A tender portrayal of a
woman rebuilding her life after her husband
dies abruptly of a heart attack. Its gentleness is
both strong and weak. In French. (5)

A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy — Set aside
your high expectations of Woody Allen and
you'll find here a small, somewhat pretentious
but nonetheless engaging farce about
innocence and lust. (6)

The Nest — A strong unfolding of a tale,
heightened by brilliant acting and
overwhelming music. An old man finds new
life and new death through his platonic love
affair with a thirteen-year-old child-woman. In
a small village. In Spanish. (9)

An Officer and a Gentleman — A tough but
magical story about Zack, his troubled youth,
and his passage into manhood. Richard Gere
plays the naval officer pilot in training. (7)

Poltergeist — A splendid horror story full of

warmth, violence, and endless symbolism.
Spooks haunt the happy home of a suburban
family. Not bloody and bizarre. Even the evil is
full of wonder. A la Spielberg (8)

The Road Warrior — A grim tale of survival set
in the wild and savage future. (6)

Rocky Ill — Sylvestor Stallone gives us a third
chapter, better than the second, weaker than
the first. The boxer faces another challenge. (5)

Star Trek II/The Wrath of Khan — The first
movie in this re-run series was so bad that
anything looks better. But it’s still hardly a
movie. Boring yarn about Captain Kirk and his
talky crew. (2)

Tron — Another science fiction piece, this one
featuring a computer operator who _ is
kidnapped and swallowed by the computer.
Dazzling by spots, imaginative, but storyless.
The computer kidnapped the drama, too! (2)

The World According to Garp — Bizarre, yes,
but masterful too. A boy grows up under the
wing of an unconventional mother and her
strange friends. He seems less strange, or does
he? Robin Williams stars. (7)

Young Doctors in Love — Attempts to be a
medical version of “Airplane,” but crashlands
in the operating room. Rowdy, poor taste, and
scattered laughs. (4)

Films are rated from an adult FQ perspective on
a scale from 1 through 9, based on their
sensitivity, integrity, and technique.

And Scrumptious Good Food

Pennsylvania Datch Cookbooks

from Ami and Memanite kitchens,

Pennsylvania Dutch
Cookbooks

These beautiful,
collections of old recipes, newly
tested and tasted, will fill your
table with good hearty food.
From the kitchens of Amish and
Mennonite Cooks.
and edited by Phyllis Pell man
Good and Rachel
Pellman, sisters-in-law.

practical

Collected

Thomas

32 pages each, $1.95 (U.S.)

Gooas Books

Main Street, Intercourse, PA 17534

Festival Quarterly 33

Hedin atyl th

to educate / to challenge / to live by

Suspense story
for young people:

SARAS TREK

The book is full of excitement. The underly-
ing theme is the faithfulness of God.

Sara is ten. She and a friend are separated
from their Mennonite families as they flee from
Russia to Germany during World War II.

The girls experience hunger, cold and bomb-
ing raids before they are united with their par-
ents. Together again, the families are in constant
fear of the Russians, near starvation, and Sara
faces ridicule at school because she is ‘‘different”’
—a refugee.

Life gets better for Sara and her family when
a care organization arrives with food and estab-
lishes camps.

The story moves along quickly and makes en-
joyable reading for youth and adults.

BASED ON FACT...

Mennonite history comes
alive in these pages.

. by Florence Schloneger

ISBN 0-87303-071-0

Paperback
108 pages...

$4.95 (U.S.)

reclassified

The Mennonite
Patina

by Katie Funk Wiebe

Though heaven and humans try to rub the Mennonite
patina to the dull, even glow of Everyman, Mennonites always
gleam with their own bright distinctiveness.

Menno, a shrewd product of the Great Plains, left home
too young to suit his mother. “Well, all right,” she finally said,
“you can go, but only as far as Wichita.” From Wichita, Menno
called home. “Mother, I’m going to California.” Seeing that
nothing would stop the boy, Menno’s mother said, “Well, all
right, but call me every evening.’’ Menno promised. In true
Mennonite style, to save money, he called person-to-person,
asking for himself so his mother knew he was alive and well.
This continued through the summer, and by October Menno
had arrived in Utah where telephones are far apart. One frosty
evening he had the operator dial his mother’s number and ask
for him. He heard his mother say, ‘““Thank God! No, he’s not
here. And would you please tell him to wear his coat.”

— Muriel Thiessen Stackley, Lincoln, Nebraska

Eighteen-year-old Marvin was visiting his grandmother, a
sturdy, self-sufficient old woman, who rented an apartment in
her farmhouse to anyone who met her requirements. They
should be Mennonite couples in good standing, ambitious and
helpful. “Are you ready to get married and rent my
apartment?” she asked the young man. “But! don’t even havea
tractor yet!”’ was his surprised report.

— Helen J. Krehbiel, Charleston, Illinois

Tabor College’s resident pacifist/philosopher, who speaks
up when inappropriate flag-waving occurs, enjoys attending
college athletic events with his young son. These usually begin
with the pep band playing the national anthem. While on
vacation in Ohio, the family attended a basketball game at
which the band also struck the familiar chords before the game
began. Four-year-old Adam, recognition gleaming brightly,
announced, “Daddy, they’re playing Tabor’s song.”

Five-year-old Todd watched his grandmother and her
friends push their needles along the marks, leaving a trail of
tiny stitches on the quilt. ““Why are you doing that, Grandma?”’
he asked. Grandma Regier explained that the quilt would be
sold at the Mennonite Relief Sale and the money used to help
hungry people. Todd paused amoment, looking puzzled, then
asked, ‘““Shouldn’t it be for tired people?”

— Ferne Burkhardt, Petersburg, Ontario

We’ve heard that horses sweat, men
perspire, and women glow. In another con-
text, Methodists glare, Baptists glitter, but
obviously Mennonites glow.

fq)

Katie Funk Wiebe is writer of many books and columns, and an
English teacher at Tabor College.

The editors invite you to submit humorous stories and anecdotes
that you've experienced or heard. We are not interested in stock jokes —
we want human interest stories with a humorous Mennonite twist. Keep
your submission to no more than 100 words and send them to Katie Funk
Wiebe, Tabor College, Hillsboro, KS 67063. She will give credit to
anecdotes she selects.

Faith and Life Press

Box 347, Newton, KS 67114 r

34 August, September, October, 1982

comment

FINAL EXAM
Unsystematics 24387 Prof. Dan Berrigan

You may aS Wer all OF some OF NONe of the following questi
Your diploma.

1. Is there such a thing as a theologically indefensible Propositi

a) Rahner, Kung, Howdy Doody, Dulles, Schillebeeck,
b) Ecclesiology, Christology, Mariology, Phrenology, Eschatology
i rah

ishop, Cardinal, Priest, deacon, Cowboy
e) John XXIII, Malcolm X, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II

10. Construct On a single legal-size Sheet of Paper a MOck-up of the Trinity. Your “onstruct should ta
the Writing of John of St. Thomas, Thomas of Acquin, Thomas the Apostle, and/or the Neo-Thomists.

features Speeches or essays from the

Festival Quarterly

Send form 3579 to: Festival Quarterly
2497 Lincoln Highway East
Lancaster, PA 17602
Postmaster, Address Correction Requested
QO008 12
MARY OYER
GOSHEN COLLEGE
GOSHEN IN 46526

Here is NOTEPAPER on finely
textured paper, rich and unique in
its subject matter.

People’s Place Graphics offer five
assortments: Contemporary Quilts,
Antique Quilts, choice watercolors from
The Henry Lapp Collection, The Four
Seasons by Beachy Amish craftsman
Aaron Zook, and a series of peaceful farm
scenes from “Who Are the Amish?”

ieee’

12 "Note “Papers

Contemporary Ouilts ' :
y Quilts and Envelopes

: Phe fey 20? , 12 "Note Papers
Each box of NOTEPAPER contains 12 . — and Lape
cards and 12 envelopes. The inside of each

card is blank; the reverse side of each

carries a description of its subject matter.

sai

Antique Quilts ' 12 Note “Papers

scsi Ms

At $4.95 per box, People’s Place Graphics
NOTEPAPER is available at many

stores and shops, or order directly from
eee s Place Graphics, Main Street,
Intercourse, PA 17534.

: People’s Place Graphics

November, December, 1982. January, 1983

QUARTER

j
i

SE SE GRRE tte te SESE

art, faith, and culture of Mennonite peoples

DO

SUNY

VS. A family affair.

Elva, Lori, Jean, Eric and Audrey
Mast combined a desire to serve
God and grow as a family in one
experience— Voluntary Service.

“After starting our own business,
we decided that in seven years
we would take a family
sabbatical,” said Jean. “‘During
this year, the children missed
their friends, but we had more
time as a family. We spent our
evenings and weekends together
camping, sightseeing, and
talking. The adjustment wasn’t
difficult at all.”

The Masts discovered that VS is
not just for singles or couples.
It’s a family affair!

If your family would like more
information on VS opportunities,
please write: Maynard Kurtz,
Mennonite Board of Missions,
Box 370, Elkhart, IN 46515.

Menorca

Board of Missions

What We’ve Learned From

André Trocme

This issue of FQ highlights
convictions. Probably no other person has
had as much impact on our own renewed
convictions during recent years as André
Trocmé has.

Born in 1901 to wealthy but strict
Huguenot parents, young André
struggled with being a minority
(Protestants are only about 1% of France’s
population) at the same time that he felt
increasingly uneasy about the poverty of
so much of the world. Two themes there
sound familiar—being a religious
minority and being concerned about
affluence when so many are poor.

When he was a teenager, his city was
overrun by Germans during World War
One. He learned to hate Germans, even
though his mother was one. The city was
in effect cut off from the rest of the world.
The people were starving. André’s family
lost their lace business. The Germans
forced Russian prisoners of war into
something like slave labor, right before
young André’s eyes.

In the midst of that crucible, André
was introduced to a German soldier who
was not carrying a gun because he was a
Christian. Kindler was the first
conscientious objector André met. And
that meeting changed André’s life.
Trocmé became an outspoken Christian
pacifist and helped to invigorate the
Fellowship of Reconciliation.

When André asked Magda Grilli to
marry him in 1926, they were both
students in New York City. She too had
experienced a_ difficult adolescence,
having also lost her mother. She wanted
to be a social worker and her Italian
Catholic background had made _ her
suspicious of organized religion.

They were an unlikely pair. But they
were in love. André’s proposal was
unusual: “I shall be a Protestant pastor,
and | want to live a life of poverty. | ama
conscientious objector, and that could
mean prison as well as all sorts of
difficulties.”

André Trocmé is now credited with
having been the catalyst of an effort to
save refugees from Hitler’s machine.
More than 5,000 were rescued, many of
them children, most of them Jewish.
Furthermore, a great many of those who
were snatched from death by these poor
mountain folks in southern France are still
alive today.

How did it happen? Why, when most
of France was submitting to the Nazi
dominance, did a few thousand peasant
farmers and villagers save not one or two
lives, not a mere dozen, but twice their
own population?

Philip Hallie unearthed this story in
his excellent book, Lest Innocent Blood
Be Shed. And, as many of our readers
know, the two of us have been spear-
heading an effort to capture this story on
film for worldwide distribution.

Five aspects of André’s faith and
strategy strike us repeatedly and have
helped to deepen our own convictions.

1. “If not now, when?” It’s never too
early to take your stand. The longer we
put it off, the harder it becomes. André
learned this most vividly in Algeria when
he waited too long to tell his superiors
that he didn’t want to carry a gun.

2. Don’t confront constantly for the
sake of confronting. When people’s lives
are at stake, don’t be reckless. Don’t back
down, but don’t be unwise. Many lives
were lost in Le Chambon because of
several persons’ blind recklessness.
Trocmé was an energetic mix of brilliant
strategy—and humility.

3. Deplore all violence. Many who
loved André for his articulate
condemnation of the violence of the
Nazis became angry when he spoke out
against the deaths realized at the hands of
the French Resistance. He was so
consistent that he became suspect by all.

4. Don’t try to be a martyr. During
the last year of the war, André went into
hiding and sat in the mountains, month
after month, with nothing to do while
others continued the work he had begun.
He knew there was a price on his head,
and he could have brazenly chosen
martyrdom. But he _ discerned the
difference between courage and heroics.

5. The final test of one’s motives for
helping others is revealed in how one
treats those one is helping. When Jewish
children whom André was rescuing came
to him and asked to be baptized, he
refused. “Come back to me when this
terror is over, after you’ve had a chance to
discuss it with your parents. If you still
want to become a Christian then, 1’ll
gladly baptize you,” he told them.
Perhaps a surprise answer, but a
dignifying one.

Imagine our relief if our daughters
were ever rescued by people of another
faith, and then not conquered by them at
a time when they were utterly vulnerable.

André Trocmé acted. He was not
paralyzed either by the immensity of the
threat facing him or the possible
insignificance of what he could do. Andin
spite of his vast temper and other human
weaknesses, he was faithful to God—and,
in turn, other people. His was a life of
disciplined commitment.

—MG and PPG

table of contents :

page 30

HHO WwW

10
12

13

14

16

18
19
20
21

22
23
28
30
32
33
34
35

Editorials

Letters

American Abroad
What’s Cooking?

Our cooking column is back,
dedicated to tasty and conscientious
eating!

Foreign Beat
Confessions of a Draft Resister

The decision is a continuing one for
David Leaman who daily searches his
motives and struggles with his commit-
ment. He writes here of his own choice
and the questions he has.

A Visit to the Dietzes’ Barn
My Convictions—How | Live Them

Joy Lovett explores her personal
practices which come as a result of her
faith.

Of Plain Suits and Folk Dancing

We are a church with many
differing interpretations of how to live
faith. There’s a lot to be learned from the
mix, says Kenneth Sensenig, who’s
carried some of his own practices to
Africa.

Convictions in Our Fellowship

José Santiago, an Hispanic
Mennonite, and David Luthy, an Old
Order Amish man, comment about
where their fellowships are
scrimmaging these days on convictions;
what ones are being tested (either from
within or without); and how they work
at shoring up convictions.

Convictions Come, Gone, and Re-
trieved

J.C. Wenger has done the observing
—and writing.

Creatively Aging
Worldwide News
Farmer's Thoughts
International Quiz

We have been voluminous
publishers! How well do you know the
details?
Publishing Notes
Mennonite Books: In Review
Communication By-line
People Stories
Best-selling Books: In Review
Quarterly Film Ratings
Reclassified
Comment

Meg Greenfield sizes up our sense
of kinship when it comes to emotional
issues.

Festival Quarterly 3

Oe
most accidents festival
SrevEraGr = quarterly

by = The Festival Quarterly (USPS 406-090) is
as a published quarterly by Good Enterprises, Ltd.,
at 2497 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, PA
17602. The Quarterly is dedicated to exploring
the culture, faith, and arts of the various
Mennonite groups worldwide, believing that
= = faith and art are as inseparable as what we
es believe is inseparable from how we live.
Copyright © 1982 by Good Enterprises, Ltd.
Vol. 9, No. 4. All correspondence should be
addressed to Festival Quarterly, 2497 Lincoln
Highway East, Lancaster, PA 17602. Second-
a class postage paid at Lancaster, PA. For U.S.
ooo ————————— readers: one year — $7.75; two years — $14.80;
——— a three years — $20.90. All other countries: one
ee ee ee ee — year — $8.95 (U.S. funds); two years — $15.80

= a (U.S. funds); three years — $21.90 (U.S. funds).

Tl
oy

Editor — Phyllis Pellman Good
Publisher and Associate Editor — Merle Good

Design Director — Craig Heisey
Staff Writer — Rachel Stahl
Circulation Manager — Marilyn Eberly

Contributing Editors — David W. Augsburger,
Hubert L. Brown, Kenton K. Brubaker, Peter
J. Dyck, Sanford Eash, Jan Gleysteen, Keith
Helmuth, James R. Krabill, Jeanette E.
Krabill, Paul N. Kraybill, David Kroeker,
Alice W. Lapp, John A. Lapp, Wilfred
Martens, Mary K. Oyer, Robert Regier, Jewel
Showalter, Carol Ann Weaver, Katie Funk

Wiebe.
Reporters — Rebekah Basinger, Jim Bishop,
Will Braun, Ferne Burkhardt, Karen Glick-
oOo Colquitt, Donna Detweiler, George Dirks,
“a Gwen Doerksen, Ernest Epp, Ivan Friesen,
reve) Paul Hostetler, Jon Kauffman-Kennel,
a che se Lawrence Klippenstein, Don Krause, Glen

Linscheid, Randy MacDonald, Loyal Martin,
Arnie Neufeld, Myrna Park, Karen Rich
Ruth, Dorothy Snider, Stuart Showalter,
Peter Wiebe, Shirley Yoder.

The fact that more people have been killed
in automobile accidents than in all the nation’s wars
is a truth that should shock all people.

The combination of defensive driving methods
and a commitment to the Christian belief in
the sanctity of human life

should go far toward changing

how we think about driving

and our driving behavior.

#

Phyllis Pellman Good, M

Bub

erle Good

The Christian on the Highway series sponsored by
GOODVILLE 625 West Main Street
MUTUAL

New Holland, Pa.
WAS OI,
Seren) 717/354-4921

November, December, 1982, January, 1983

| read the discussion of teacher’s striking
(August, September, October, 1982 issue) with
considerable interest, since | was ateacher; but
with some detachment, since | am retired. But |
was troubled by Kathryn Neufeld’s statement,
if | understand what she is saying.

| am not concerned with which position
she took, but with her underlying — perhaps
unrealized — philosophy in taking her
position. She writes, “when you [Robert J.
Baker] begin to make your position sound
normative for all Mennonites your words feel
judgmental.”

Now this seems to me to be basically a
rejection of standards and anyone’s attempt to
arrive at mutually agreed upon standards. For if
there is in any field, say sixth grade arithmetic, a
standard of behavior or achievement, then
judgment of behavior or achievement in that
field is inevitable. Judgment and being
judgmental are inherent in standards. To
eliminate standards is the only way to avoid
judgment.

There are ethical standards, too, such as
honesty. Shall we eliminate being judgmental
about that standard?

In some areas, such as teachers’ strikes,
there may be disagreement about the standard.
Shall we abandon standards here — and
judgment? Or shall we try by sharing and
examining our differing ideas to arrive at a
mutually agreed upon standard, knowing that
even our best efforts may not arrive at what
God has in mind and that we shall have to work
further on our common problem until we do
arrive? Surely the latter.

L. A. King
Norwich, Ohio

Your last issue was superb — David
Augsburger’s article was worth an entire year’s
subscription.

Rosa Hershberger
Goshen, Indiana

Re your “Letters to Editor” in the August,
September and October, 1982 issue of Festival
Quarterly. | was somewhat surprised to see my
letter printed without my permission. | was
quite upset that it was not printed as | wrote it.
My letter stated, “Bluntly, being single in the
Mennonite Church is a bitch.” You printed,
“Church is a bitch.” Your editing totally altered
the meaning of that sentence, weakened the
main point of my letter and made the
paragraph which followed difficult to
comprehend. I’m disappointed with your level
of professionalism.

While I’m writing, perhaps you need a
“hard shove” with regard to your editorial on
the Black Caucus. Your exclusion of single
people as a concern group, in the next to the
last paragraph, only confirms my feelings about
how seriously this growing minority is taken.

Debra H. Bender
Chicago, Illinois

Editors’ Note: The editors are appalled at the
production error that caused a line in Debra
Bender’s letter to be mistakenly dropped.
There was no deliberate editing done to the
letter. The regrets and responsibilities are all
ours.

This letter regards the letter from John
Otto of Champaign — Urbana which you
printed. | think you should have called Mr.

Otto and asked about the typing error in the
letter. Having a “‘sic’ in the letter is
embarrassing.

Robert Glick

Lombard, Illinois

Editor’s Note: The “(sic)” in John Otto’s letter
was his own, not ours. We simply printed his
letter, verbatim. We wanted to be faithful to his
complete message.

| have just finished reading Rachel K.
Stahl’s, “To My Mother...” [Aug., Sept., Oct.,
1982] with a deep sense of compassion, and, |
hope, understanding. It took a great deal of
courage to write — and to print it! Thank you.

| have long been distressed by that
thinking which says or implies, “If | (or you)
only had enough faith, | (or you) would be
healed, etc., etc.”’ It conjures up images of
supreme human effort (plus works if you will),
and seems almost tantamount to using God asa
talisman to obtain what we desire in the matter.

It seems to me to be immensely cruel and
uncaring to suggest, by word or deed, that
oneself or a loved one is not healed because of
lack of faith or obedience.

Pain and suffering are part of our earthly
experience. We can (and should) struggle with
it and try to understand something about it, but
we can never fully know or explain the “whys.”
To assign the blame to lack of faith or
obedience is not only judgmental; it can only
heap more pain on what is already being
experienced.

It seems to me that it would be much more
constructive to concentrate on the knowledge
that God will strengthen, comfort, and enable
us to deal with the pain and suffering we
experience. If we allow it, God can help us use
the experience for growth.

© Mick Stevens

Phillip Yancey’s Where is God When It
Hurts? (Zondervan Press, 1980) is an excellent
little book (among many) which might be
helpful for others dealing with similar ideas and
feelings expressed in Ms. Stahl’s article.

May we all learn to be
compassionate!

more

Mary Albrecht
Indianapolis, Indiana

Festival Quarterly is a beautiful magazine. |
have been receiving it for several years. |
especially like David Augsburger’s column.

| am not Mennonite. | belong to the
Church of the Brethren. | am district as well as
local representative of our church magazine
and know that this is a difficult time for
Magazines.

| have Mennonite roots and value them.
My grandmother was raised in a Mennonite
home. Funk and Burkhart are some names of
ancestors. | want to go to EMC and see if | can
learn more of my family background in their
library.

Lois McGuffin
Roanoke, Virginia

The editors welcome letters. Letters for
publication must include the writer’s name and
address and should be sent to Festival
Quarterly, 2497 Lincoln Highway East,
Lancaster, PA 17602. The editors regret that the
present volume of mail necessitates publishing
only a representative cross-section. Letters are
subject to editing for reasons of space and
clarity.

I'M A HARVARD GRADUATE.

I'M THE CHAIRMAN OF THE.
BOARD OFA LARGE CORPORATION,
| MAKE DECISIONS EVERY DAY
THAT AFFECT THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE ANP? MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS. THIS- MORNING

T FORGOT TO FUTON MY 40cK5.~

Festival Quarterly 5

american abroad

Bark! The Herald Angels Sing

by James and Jeanette Krabill

There once lived a monk who passed
his days in solitude contemplating the
universe. Weeks melted away into
months and the man grew lonely and so
purchased a dog for companionship. Life
went on uninterrupted. Until one day a
young lad seeking Truth came calling to
glean what he could from the monk’s
many years of reflection. The lad was so
impressed that in time he pledged
allegiance to the monk, resolving to
forever serve him, bring it suffering or
even death. And so it was that the young
man, like his master, acquired a dog and
entered with joy into the contemplative
life.

News of what was happening
traveled rapidly and soon other
disciples—and other dogs—were joining
the ranks. Time passed. The fellowship
grew. And it became progressively clear
to the brethren that more adequate care
for the increasing dog population would
be required. And so members possessing
carpentry skills were designated as kennel
constructors; others applied their
agricultural expertise to keeping chow
bowls brimming full; and still others with
rudimentary medical knowledge looked

“what's cooking?

As | slid the pan of cornbread into the
oven late Saturday afternoon, | realized
again how I’ve copied my mother’s
Saturday supper menus.

Mother, by nature and necessity in
our Kentucky days, was an organizer. Lists
and schedules kept our extended family
of ten living and moving in reasonable
order.

And | do remember the pattern for
Saturday—cleaning the house, gathering
eggs, finishing up school work. But more
importantly, Saturdays were the days we
five daughters learned to cook.

Mother started us out with
cornbread. “Berries and bread and
milk’—that’s what we called those

evening meals. Certainly it was plain fare,
yet difficult enough to challenge an
uncertain young hostess.

And while the bread was always
cornbread, the fruit with which we
topped those yellow chunks varied. We
might ladle out canned _ blackberries,
peaches, strawberries, or huckleberries.
Bananas, sliced and wearing a touch of
brown sugar, were a special treat.

Now | tell my sons Kentucky stories as

after the general health and welfare of the
animals in question.

In the community’s twenty-third
year, informal structures gave way to new
organizational patterns; the “Society for
the Promotion of Canine Care” was born.
And when eight months later the aged
monk finally passed away, it was not at all
certain that anyone knew or even cared
when and how the master’s soft-spoken
counsel had been drowned out by the
yapping of innumerable hounds.

It is always a healthy exercise about
this time each year to remind ourselves of
all the “dogs” that have barked their way
from the lowly stable and across the
centuries into our present-day North
American Christmas festivities. Christmas
as such has of course not always been
celebrated. And even in the fourth
century when the practice became more
widely spread, there was much
disagreement concerning the proper
date. The majority of churches in the East
picked January 6, while the Western
church opted for December 25—derived
from the pagan Mithraic festival of natalis
invicti solis (“birthday of the invincible
sun’). The Germans later introduced the

Saturday Night Supper ait oe

we stir up the cornbread or peach cobbler
or apple granola. For while we still call it
“berries and bread and milk,” I’ve added

... Saturdays
were the days we
five daughters
learned to cook.

several variations to that theme.

Why not try them! Just add a pitcher
of milk and a bowl of vegetable sticks to
your table, and supper is ready.

6 November, December, 1982, January, 1983

Christmas tree which likely replaced the
oak, sacred to Odin the Teutonic god.
From the Saxons we learned that ivy and
holly have something to do with Christ’s
birth, while the Romans have passed on
the custom of green boughs and the
Druids the practice of hanging mistletoe.
Santa Claus can be traced to third-century
Saint Nicholas, but his reindeer and North
Pole toy factory are myths of more
modern origin. The earliest-known
printed Christmas card is only one anda
half centuries old; it was made for the
Englishman Sir Henry Cole in 1843.
Snowflakes and stockings have more to
do with local weather patterns than
anything else. And the Lord alone knows
when red and green were first associated
with His becoming flesh. (When we were
in France for Christmas five years ago, the
Paris youth group decorated the church
in blue and yellow; we later discovered
that no particular colors (red, green, or
other) have ever been assigned to
Christmas in France.)

Now not all of the above ‘Christmas
dogs” are ferocious beasts. Some are in
fact quite harmless if not downright
friendly critters. Yet dogs they remain. At

Peach Cobbler

Place in ungreased 9” x 13” pan:
4 C. sliced peaches, or any fruit
sweetened or unsweetened
fresh, canned, or frozen
Stir together:
1 C. whole wheat flour
1 C. unbleached flour
2 t. baking powder
Add:
2 eggs
% C. honey
1 t. cinnamon
1 C. milk
Pour over fruit. Bake at 350° 30
minutes. Enjoy warm with milk. This easily
feeds four as the main course. The
cobbler takes on interesting variations as
you vary the sweetness and juiciness of
the fruit.

Apple Granola

Place in ungreased 9” x 13” pan:
6 C. unpeeled, sliced apples
(Your food processor is a fast slicer.)
Sprinkle over apples:
1 t. cinnamon

| ET
Before Germantown

least to the extent that their constant
barking is necessary for us to feel that we
have truly celebrated the Savior’s birth.
December 25 marks the beginning of
the sticky hot season here in Ivory Coast.
What green boughs can be found are
caked with red dust. And the nearest one
can come to snow is the dry powdery grit
blown in from the Sahara Desert which
fills the air for weeks on end. Now it
should be possible to experience the
“Spirit of Christmas’ in such a context.
And each year we get better at it. Yet
those relentless hounds from yuletides
past keep howling in ppg
ourheads.Reminding
us what culture-
bound creatures
we've allowed our -
selves to become.

&

James and Jeanette Krabill and their family
have moved inland in Ivory Coast to Yocoboué
where they are available to independent
African Churches.

Stir together:

1 C. rolled oats

1 C. wheat germ

1 C. whole wheat flour

1 C. sunflower seeds
Add:

¥%4 C. water

¥% C. honey

Spoon overapples. Bake at 350°

for 40-45 minutes.Served warm with
milk, it tastes of apple pie and ice
cream. This main dish can handle four
hungry eaters. &

Glenda Knepp from Turner, Michigan is
the mother of two sons, active in a food co-op
and a Concerned Parents Group in the public
school system.

by Jan Gleysteen

In 1682 the Quaker William Penn
received the province of Penn Sylvania
from King George in lieu of a debt the
king owed Penn’s father. Among the first
to settle in Penn’s Woods were Dutch and
German Quakers and Mennonites. Next
year, in 1983, North American Men-
nonites will commemorate the 300th
anniversary of their first permanent
settlement in the New World: German-
town, Pa., now part of Philadelphia.

While Germantown was the first
successful settlement, it was not the first
time Mennonites had set foot in the New
World.

Because the development of the New
Netherlands was entrusted to the great
trading cities of Amsterdam and Hoorn it
is more than likely that Mennonite
craftsmen and merchants lived and died
in New Amsterdam (later: New York). Ina
letter dated 1642 a French Jesuit, Father
Togues, describing the religious life in
““Manhate” talked about “... Anabaptists,
here called Menists.”” Mennonites are
also mentioned among the settlers at
Gravesend, Long Island in 1657. There is a
story that the Bronx received its name
from a Mennonite farmer, named Jonas
Bronck who died in 1643. But we have no
record of an organized congregation, nor
of a permanent settlement in or around
New Amsterdam.

In Holland the commercial orien-
tation of New Amsterdam was criticized
by those who wanted to encourage the
emigration of farmers as well as traders.
One of these critics was Jacob Steendam
who lived in America for several years and
who praised the New Netherlands for“...
the purity of the air, the fertility of the soil
... the abundance of fish and wildlife...”
Steendam, a Collegiant, was a close friend
of Pieter Cornelisz Plockhoy.

Plockhoy, born of a Mennonite
family in Zierikzee in the Dutch province
of Zeeland, was a social reformer and a
member of a radical group of poets called
the Reformateurs. He wrote several
pamphlets and broadsides with plans fora
model cooperative society based on
harmonious Christian relations. He em-
phasized the Lordship of Christ, simplicity
of lifestyle, voluntary church membership
and the total community’s concern for the
poor and elderly. A statement against
slavery was included. Above all it was to
be a peaceful community based on
brotherly consensus.

After an initial attempt to establish
this ideal society in Ireland, which never
materialized, Plockhoy received support
from the City of Amsterdam and a
number of Mennonite businessmen to

establish his society on the Horekill in the
New Netherlands (Delaware). The city
advanced two hundred Guldens for each
migrating family with the understanding
that the brotherhood as a whole was
responsible for the repayment of it in full.

On May 5, 1663 the ship “Sint Jacob”
under command of captain Pieter van der
Goes set sail for the New Netherlands with
Plockhoy and the members of_ his
“Mennonist Society” on board. Twelve
and a half weeks later, on July 28, the “Sint
Jacob” sailed up the South River (Dela-
ware Bay), to drop off forty-one souls,
their baggage and farm implements, at
the mouth of the Horekill, a place
commonly called Swaenendael (Valley of
Swans).”

Plockhoy and his people had scarcely
begun to set up housekeeping till the
British Navy was sent out to claim for
Britain all the Dutch settlements on the
Hudson and along the Delaware Bay.
Nearly everywhere the Dutch surrender-
ed peacefully and on favorable terms.
Only in Delaware the British commander,
Sir Robert Carr, proceeded to plunder
and burn the Dutch settlements contrary
to the orders of James, Duke of York who
had instructed him to treat the people
with “humanity and gentleness.” Instead
Carr reported that he also “. .. destroyed
that which belonged to the quaking
society of Plockhoy down to avery naile.”’
We have no record of what happened to
Plockhoy’s people, but there is good
evidence that they were sold as slaves to
work on the Virginia plantations, along
with the soldiers of nearby Fort Amstel.

Eighteen years later, in 1682, Plock-
hoy and his wife showed up in Lewes,
Delaware, not far from the site of his own
ill-fated colony. In 1694 Pieter Cornelisz
Plockhoy, now old and blind, and guided
by his wife, wandered into Germantown,
Pennsylvania. They spent their final years
among Mennonites
who, in the mean-
time, had been more
successful in plant-
ing a community on
American soil.

&

Jan Gleysteen, an artist and historian, lives
in Scottdale, Pennsylvania, where he works for
Mennonite Publishing House and participates
in TourMagination as a leader of tour groups in
Europe.

Festival Quarterly 7

Confessions ofa

8

by David KE. Leaman

he spotlight

has shown brightly in recent

months on a few young men who

have been put on trial for refusing to
register with Selective Service. Many
have watched and wondered. | have
watched. And last week an FBI agent
called my home because | didn’t
register either. My decision has become
incredibly real.

Minority positions rarely rest
comfortably. To the bearers, they are
struggle. Struggle (in my case)... to
make a responsible decision that could
prove costly ... to be level-headed and
open-minded when fluctuating
emotions overwhelm... to live with
the nagging uncertainty of what could
happen next... to be aware of self
... to communicate the message |
intend and to be understood . . . to be
faithful . . . to do what is right whether
it seems ‘worth’ it or not... to find
peace.

Sometimes it is so clear. Why can’t
everyone understand and agree? We
live in a world of destructive values.
People are less important than
materials. Bombs are built with the sole
purpose of killing large portions of
humanity. The wholeness and beauty of
the entire creation is threatened. And
while the monstrous machine races on,
millions starve.

Registration is a push of the pedal
in the cycle of violence. Name-
gathering that prepares for war, a tool
to arouse hostility and magnify threats,
and therefore, a step that makes it more
likely that our government could
choose a military “solution.”

I] young men have
been ordered to sign a little postcard.
Some of us havetoo long been socialized
in church traditions that have taught us
about the preciousness of life, about the
call of Jesus to love our enemies, about
our ancestors’ refusal to participate in the

November, December, 1982, January, 1983

military, about standing in the minority
when the need arises despite possible
suffering, and about the hope that this
world can be transformed. These values
have become a part of us. For some of
us that has meant we can’t fill out that
little postcard. We can’t participate in a
step that leads to war. What choice did
we (I) have?

| am reminded of the counsel of
one peace activist, “When people ask
‘Why?’, turn the question back on
them, ‘Why wouldn’t | be doing this?
What are you doing?’ Don’t act like
what you are doing is unusual.”

But sometimes | feel very unusual.
When an FBI agent is interested in me,
everything isn’t so clear. Wonderings
arise out of my conflicting emotions.
Who am | to do this? | am just a normal
19-year-old with an evolving world view
who enjoys living and wants to serve
others.

NISBCO

Enten Eller talks to the press after his trial
where he was charged for draft
nonregistration.

Enten Eller, a Brethren non-
registrant who was the first to be tried
and convicted, made one thing
perfectly clear throughout his trial: His
decision was a result of being faithful to |
God’s call and nothing else. Enten |
explained to me, “I don’t want to be |
overly concerned with maximizing the
witness or stopping the system. If | had
those goals, then | easily could be
frustrated. If | leave it up to God, |
don’t have to worry. I’m definitely
concerned about militarism and see
witness as valid. | am thankful that
because of my stand others are raising
the issues. When | simply obey God’s
call, everything is for the best. | can’t
lose.” Enten’s attitude, centering
around his clear call from God,

Draft Resister

eliminates for him the questions about
whether his position is worth it.

André Gingerich, a Mennonite
studying at Swarthmore College, had
several reasons for refusing to register.
After much analysis of what registration
was about, André realized that as a
Christian he couldn’t cooperate with
this military step. Furthermore, he saw
non-registration as an opportunity to
help bring the registration system to a
halt and to call others (in the church
and the public) by his example and
voice to work together to help create a
peaceful world.

ar has never touched
me. | don’t know what it feels like.
Because of this, the militarism that |
object to sometimes seems unreal and
the passion of conviction hard to hold
on to. | wonder about jail. Images of
violent individuals and lonely cells are
haunting, not to mention a criminal
record that limits my opportunities. |
think of what | might miss: the
entertaining lectures of my current
history professor, the excitement of
living in a small group for the first time,
the hours spent working at the free
medical clinic, and the sights and
sounds of D.C.

It is not easy for me—or for
anyone—to be fully self-aware. When
my gut-level emotions switch to a
feeling of confidence, | wonder also.
When | am around other non-
registrants and affirming persons, | feel
a sense of belonging and feel inspired
to go on. Sometimes | feel good about
the identity that this decision creates for
me. It has been a big part of my life for
over a year. (Other times | find it
stifling.) | fight these and other human
motives because | know they don’t have
sustaining power and that my position
would be worthless and hypocritical if
they became primary. But I’m human.
Can my struggle to accept, but
subordinate, these human motives allow
me to consistently lift up higher values
and make my decision a responsible
one?

This decision, this struggle is

helping to shape my world view.
Sometimes | question my assumptions.
I’m only nineteen. Am | too idealistic?
Can the world be ordered using less
violent means? Is registration really
fairly harmless? Those questions usually
fade when | ponder the nuclear threat
and Christians’ responsibilities to base
their lives (and their responses to
government demands) on a set of
values that may seem idealistic. If no
one envisioned a better way and acted
on it, could peace ever happen? But
me—go to jail for a vision?

| am learning that following Christ,
living by higher ideals, doesn’t always
seem to make sense. Sometimes it may
seem foolish. In my wonderings, the
questions | am inclined to ask most
often are: Can change happen? | feel so
small and the impersonal forces of
militarism seem so big and so beyond
control. Is jail worth it if | can’t make
any impact? Why did I make this
decision anyway?

ecently André spent
several days at a retreat center.

Pausing to reflect, he recognized

that much of his driving force has been
in being able to see results. “‘It

has been exciting to see the

degree of noncompliance. | think we
have slowed down the process.” But
while there he began to ask himself,
“What sustains me? What if there were
only 700 non-registrants rather than
700,000? What if | had to go to jail?”
André’s time of Bible study and
meditation revealed to him, “To make a
more peaceful world we must be
prepared to take actions that may seem
foolish. We’ll need something deeper
than the results to sustain us.”” André
remains committed to actively working
for social change.

Richard Steele is a white South
African. In a country where military
service is compulsory, Richard was the
first to go to jail for his refusal to be a
soldier. Sentenced to long hours of

solitary confinement, Richard said he
rested on the assurance, “Nothing can
separate me from the love of God.” He
faces the prospect of a long-term jail
sentence if he returns to South Africa as
he plans. In his recent tour in the
United States, Richard many times had
to answer the question, “Why go back?
What good will it do?” Steele reflected
that many Christians are too wrapped
up in a “productivity ethic.”

Could | be a non-registrant if |
were the only one? Or if | received
little affirmation? | receive strength
from seeing the courage and conviction
of others. | lean on the support | feel
from people within the church. Could |
do this if it meant an indefinite jail term
such as Richard Steele faces? It takes
tremendous faith to see past the
suffering, the foolishness, and the utter
defeat and believe that there is ultimate
triumph. I’m not sure | could be
Richard Steele.

n coming to my decision |
searched and shared with people close
to me, trying to line up the way of
Christ with this demand. Within the
church | want to be accountable for my
decision. | hope for understanding;
whispers of disagreement from persons
in the church trouble me. But this is all
part of the struggle, a struggle that has
been a catalyst for growth, helping me
to realize that | am both strong and
weak. More and more | search for
strength beyond myself.

| want to build, to serve, to plant.
My decision was first a personal
response of faith, but | find hope in
thinking that perhaps | may in some
small way be planting seeds of peace.
Perhaps things will happen that go far
beyond my own imperfect struggle to
“wage peace.” On the other hand, my
senior class motto in high school
reminds me that “God does not call us
to be successful but to be faithful.” |
am beginning to understand.

David E. Leaman is a Mennonite college
student living in Washington, D.C. and
studying at the University of Maryland.

Festival Quarterly 9

FQ/Merle Good

Anna Lois Dietz and her father, Myron, reflect on their River

Brethren church — its traditions and its change.

10

November, December, 1982, January, 1983

The evening is delicious. My eyes tell me I can taste the
scrumptious greens and the clear blues of this rural paradise.
An evening as perfect as one would choose for a wedding.

The people gather. Long beards, plain clothes, warm
handshakes and kisses. Wheat stubble for their parking lot.
Barn for their church. Benches and chairs for pews.

Whoa. This is too idyllic. Let’s begin again.

On a beautiful August evening, a hundred or more Old
Order River Brethren gather in the barn of the Dietz family
near Wrightsville, Pennsylvania. Not for a wedding, but for a
traditional testimony meeting. It becomes a special
experience for Phyllis and me and our two girls.

Why am | moved so deeply? Why do my eyes become
blurred with emotion time and again? Am | blind to the
flaws?

I’m not sure. Some of my friends contend that I’m
romantically involved. My spirit has fallen in love with people
of deep convictions wherever | find them. Even with groups
as “ridiculous” as the Amish or the Old Order River

es’ Barn

Brethren.

Maybe so. But few things feel as pure and basic as sitting
in a clean-swept barn among the warm evening shadows,
joining the singing of a group of committed Christians. | felt
the same way at Black Caucus two weeks later several miles
from Dietzes. On a similarly delicious evening, on a college
campus—singing of a different tempo but with the same
tone—the gathered faithful.

The Old Order River Brethren are the “Old Order” wing
of the Brethren in Christ, blending a mixture of Anabaptism
and Holiness emphases. There are fewer than 350 of them in
the whole world, mainly in Pennsylvania. And even within
that small group there have been various splits!

But who in our faith-family should raise eyebrows about
that? It’s one of the characteristics of our Mennonite
peoplehood worldwide—the willingness to risk breaking up a
fellowship rather than give up a deeply-held conviction.

But listen to that singing! Not as slow as the Amish chant,
but slow enough to taste the words. It’s unlike anything I’ve
witnessed in any Christian body. A member (male or female)
calls out a number and reads the first line. “One hundred
eighty, ‘When Joseph his brethren beheld, afflicted and
trembling with fear.’ ”

Then the hymn leader announces the number again and
leads one verse of the hymn. Their Spiritual Hymns has only
the words printed, so the people sing the tune by memory.

Slow tempo, uneven harmony, but a rich center.

As the verse ends, the member stands and gives a
testimony of what the Lord has done in her or his life. Some
are slow and faltering. Some quick, terse. Others warm and
inspirational.

This could get boring. Don’t they realize?

By now I’m getting old enough to understand that every
church everywhere under the sun is in constant danger of
becoming stale. Even “freshness” quickly becomes boring. So
what’s wrong with repetition in our gathered hour? Why
must our prayers be “original” every time? Do we assume
that God gets bored?

Sure, some of these same testimonies have filled the hay-
sweet atmosphere of other barns in other years. So what? We
sing hymns over and over, don’t we? Should we cut Psalm 23
out of the Bible after our first reading of it for fear we’ll bore
someone?

Granted, some of these testimonies aren’t in the Psalm 23
league. But I’m warmed and touched as | am by all religious
traditions which any of our people still find meaningful.

Anna Lois Dietz reflects on how young people feel about
the testimonies.

“I can understand more now what the older people are
going through in their lives,” she says. “And when we young
people share, the older people come up afterwards and
express appreciation.”

About a third of our Mennonite-related peoples in North
America adhere to an Old Order approach to our common
faith. The more modern two-thirds live as though the others
don’t exist, except as cartoons. The “mainstream” Mennonite
groups are sure they have nothing to learn from those more
committed to ‘‘conserving”’ their faith.

Mennonite meetings regularly are begun with jokes
about the convictions of these brothers and sisters, be they

by Merle Good

Amish, Old Order Mennonite, Hutterite, Holdeman, or Old
Order River Brethren. In their publications and institutions,
the majority groups either ignore or patronize these
minorities. Some even try to “save” them from their
convictions!

My soul has never understood why. Why is this meeting
in the barn so far from the kingdom of God? Why are their
convictions insignificant? Why is their singing a joke, in the
same way that many mainstream Mennonites snicker at the
singing of our black congregations?

Evening has come. The sermon weaves to and fro.
Nothing new to that. Comfort, prodding, peace.

And then a special moment. The commissioning of this
group’s first Voluntary Service worker. Others have gone
unofficially. But this part of the service is led by the bishop.

Watch out. Do they realize how dangerous this is?
Sending a short-term worker to Haiti. Things will never be
the same from this moment on.

Anna Lois speaks with conviction, reaching out through
her tears to the older members. Their response signals
support. Right there in her family’s barn.

We watched them sweep the barn and lay the carpets on
Thursday night. Saturday night we joined them in their long
but touching service. Sunday morning’s even longer; the
barn is full.

But it’s the meal following the Sunday service that holds
the key.

| ask a young farmer whether they’ll give up the
inconvenience of the barn and build a meetinghouse
someday soon. He shakes his head. “Some may lean in that
direction,” he says, “but we wouldn’t eat together anymore.
Look at other groups like the Mennonites. Do you eat
together like this regularly?”

Good question. How can people know, trust and counsel
each other if they don’t eat together?

| return to the Dietz farm for a conversation with Myron,
Lois, and their children the night before daughter Anna Lois
leaves for Haiti. They’re all at peace. Oh sure, there are lots
of problems and questions. But peace of heart.

Myron has been a teacher at the Mennonite high school
for many years, my favorite and many other students’
favorite. Why didn’t he just shave and become a mainstream
Mennonite?

Kind words, but a sadness beneath the surface. He
alludes to the loss of convictions he has witnessed among the
Mennonites while crediting the renewal he has also seen.

“1 never felt God calling me any place else,” he smiles,
“This was my place. This was my home.”

Then he gives me a tape of their singing which a group
of River Brethren had put together one evening for historical
purposes. It’s a special gift. | share it with my family.

| must not be the only one who has been touched by
our visit to the Dietzes’ barn. On many Saturday mornings
since then, Rebecca plays a while, looks at books, and then
turns those three-year-old eyes my way and wistfully intones,
“Daddy, can we play Dietz’s music?”

And she smiles as it begins. Like father, like daughter,
you say? Weird begets weird? Maybe. But | sense that she
senses the sound of faithfulness, and I’d rather share that with
her than a morning full of television cartoons.

Festival Quarterly 11

My Convictions-
How I Liwe Them

| have wondered if each of my
actions or conversations during the past
year were listed, whether | could name
the motivating force or belief which
caused it. And if | could name the
belief would it be categorized as a
Christian conviction? | know | have two
basic types of convictions—those which
require risk-taking and those which do
not cost me anything or very little. |
find too that my strong beliefs have
been conditioned by what | was taught
as a child and young adult in the
church, by what | observed as a child
and adult in the church and by
conversations between my God and
myself.

While | hold convictions
concerning the wearing of a covering, a
simple lifestyle and dress, those
practices have been subject to change
over time and have been conditioned
somewhat by the community in which |
live. Living these convictions has
involved very little sacrifice and no risk.

There are those strong beliefs,
though, for which | have taken
substantial risk. For example, | am
convinced that God never meant any of
us to live in fear of others or with the
tension of broken relationships.
Because of this belief | have tended to
speak up more often than normal (and
sometimes loudly) in situations where
attempts have been made to intimidate
people or where misunderstandings
have occurred.

| am convinced that God means for
each individual to live whole lives, with
one set of standards for both the
secular job environment and our
church lives. This has meant that | have
recommended denial of requests for
funding in situations where legal
requirements have not been met.
Denial has, in turn meant that there are
people in need of services who will not
get them otherwise. But denial did not

12

Photo by Jim Allen

by Joy Lovett

come before | had worked in every
conceivable way and at all hours to
help the applicant meet the
requirements. | have applied pressure
to get medical institutions and
physicians to provide services in life-
threatening situations. | have, on several
occasions, jeopardized my job by
tackling the federal bureaucracy when
it has failed in its legal responsibility to
poverty populations and minorities.

| am also convinced that for every
door that’s shut in the face of a person
in the secular world, a door should be
open in the church. This conviction has
conditioned my commitment to true
integration within the Mennonite
Church and my commitment to those
programs, attitude changes and
circumstances which will contribute to
justice and peace in America. This
belief has meant that | attend hours and
hours of meetings which | cannot stand
at any price, swallowing insults at a rate
that comes close to choking me, talking
until I’m hoarse responding to those
who say, “Well, if you don’t like it get
out”; resisting the urge to strike out
when people say, “We need to hear
that; keep telling us; keep saying that’;
resisting the urge to scream when told,
“We're your brothers; we love you; but

November, December, 1982, January, 1983

what do you want?”

Although | have taken some risks
for my convictions, | am, however,
haunted by the times when | have been
too afraid or too busy to speak out and
to follow through.

When | search for the root of my
convictions or the driving force behind
my practices | recall conversations that
I’ve had with God about aspects of
each. One of them has recurred several
times over the past 10 years but is now
finally settled:

“Lord, why should | be called
names, to my face and behind my back?
Why must | be spit upon as | stand in
line for a drink of water? Why must |
listen to those who would convince me
that people of my skin color are inferior
mentally, spiritually and culturally? Why
must | continue to sit in the same room
with those who are afraid to touch me
for fear that my skin color will rub off
or that they’ll catch some peculiar
disease? Why must | write a ten page
proposal for funds when others can
make a phone call? Why must |
continue to listen to conversation which
equates my race and my skin color with
all that is evil and ugly?

“Father, will my children have a
chance? Will they have to experience
the pain and bewilderment of being
hated, slighted and ignored for no
better reason than their dark skin color?
| can see no light at the end of this
particular tunnel. Will | be able to offer
my children hope for a better world?
Can | tell my children that the church is
a refuge, that it really does model
Christ in our relationships, that they
won’t experience any of the world’s
nonsense in this refuge?”

“Joy, just one simple reminder: My
precious son was spit upon, ridiculed,
beaten and eventually killed but it was
his deep desire, one of his last spoken
requests on earth, that His followers
become one. My son finished his
course.”

Joy Lovett recently left her job as a city
planner in Charlottesville, Virginia, to
become Associate Secretary for Black
Concerns in the Mennonite Church.

Of Plain Suits and Folk Dancing

by Kenneth L. Sensenig

M y lovely, midwestern Mennonite date kept the
conversation flowing easily around the banquet table. The

light-hearted banter bounced from one topic to the next. I’ve
forgotten all that was said except the bit about plain suits. My

date related, rather amusingly, how her
father had worn a plain suit to his
wedding some twenty-five years
previously. She didn’t know her own
escort had a well-worn plain suit in his
own closet! My education in Mennonite
sociology had begun.

As a child, | traversed turf familiar
to many Mennonites. To me, a fair part
of one’s Mennonite identity was vested
in external features. Neckties, cut hair
and slacks on women, and television
were taboo. Plain clothing and a quiet
life were standard fare. Few questions
were asked and few answers offered.
Until | entered my late teens, such
criteria defined a Mennonite for me.

| knew another world existed. It destroyed the cherished
Mennonite identity. Repeatedly, folks from the home
congregation struck out on their own and never returned.
Advanced education, a cross-cultural experience or a move
to a non-Mennonite community metamorphosed an
individual. A membership transfer to a more accommodating
Mennonite group closed the chapter on each successive
adventurer.

In time, my turn came for adventures. An education at a
state university, an eight-year teaching stint, a spell on the
graduate school treadmill and, presently, a turn in Africa as a
volunteer unfolded the world before my wide, wondering
eyes.

My path intersected with a wide variety of Mennonites
along the way. This contact forced my definition of
Mennonite to evolve over the years. | learned rapidly that
the name “Mennonite” applied to individuals as diverse as
snowflakes in a blizzard. Some wondered about the “little
white caps” worn by my lady acquaintances. Others peddled
distinctly Mennonite jewelry. Still others enjoyed folk
dancing rather than the traditional Mennonite recreation of
volleyball. A mealtime prayer, | learned, was not an
unchangeable law of the Medes and Persians or Mennonites.

To coexist and worship with brothers and sisters of
diverse Mennonite backgrounds required some
accommodations on their part and mine. Native African
churchgoers taught me a valuable lesson on tolerance.
Anyone is free to speak during their worship services.
Listeners may limit themselves to bemused smirks at some
speakers’ contributions. Outright laughter is not
inappropriate if the testifier is way off base. Always, however,
a sense of acceptance and toleration permeates the services.

It was not always that easy for one indoctrinated with the
“rightness” of his brand of faith and practice. Sometimes it
meant recognizing that Sunday grocery-shopping-
Mennonites do so of necessity in supply-plagued Africa.
Other times it meant joining the recreation as the only
puritanically clothed Mennonite. Finally, it meant realizing
that “Mennonite” is more useful in identifying an individual’s
spiritual qualities rather than his extraneous features.

It soon became obvious that beyond the multiplicity of
sociological applications, one finds few theological

Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions

differences within the Mennonite laity. Mennonites
everywhere express concern for the underdog. Almost
without exception, Mennonites strive to follow the Jesus
pattern as nye Rejcelxe it. A conviction that Christ offers the

mum §=6answers to man’s needs pervades global
Mennonite circles.

Unfortunately, the common
denominators go largely unnoticed.
Virtually no meaningful dialogue exists
between the various conservative enclaves
and the larger Mennonite peoplehood.
Attempts at Mennonite unity have failed
to attract the fringes. Conservative
elements view the Mennonite General
Assembly and Mennonite World
Conference as frightening ecumenical
movements. Such organizations are
thought to dissolve congregational
identities in an institutional quagmire
with an ill-defined code of ethics.
Conservative non-participation excludes
them fan the world-wide picture. The trend seems to be
towards even more isolationism.

Each camp follows it own popular speakers, operates its
own publishing firms and supports its own educational
systems. The will to walk, hand in hand, on separate but
parallel paths appears to be nearly extinct. Yet each has much
to offer the other if only a symbiotic relationship can be
established.

Pockets of conservatism keep the remainder of the
Mennonite Church in touch with its roots. Even as
Mennonites expand rapidly into third world missions, there is
value in studying the Euro-American experience of the
Anabaptist family. Like the memorial stones from the Jordan
River, conservative Mennonites can be reminders of a goodly
heritage. They remain a reference point, like a beckoning
lighthouse, for those venturing into new waters.

In turn, the international Mennonite community has
much to offer in the way of contemporary simple living,
dynamic evangelism and in social concern and action.

One dare not hope for a fusing of these diverse
Mennonite groups. Nor would that be desirable. Diversity is
enriching, but only if that diversity is shared.

Just such sharing does occur in the Mennonites’
programs for relief efforts. To see an Amish farmer and a
bejewelled Mennonite pastor praying together over lunch in
the midst of a flood clean-up project is to get a glimpse of
heaven.

Perhaps the most meaningful contact between the
groups occurs when people serve as human bridges. They
may be leaders or laity. People willing to move in and
through the Mennonite spectrum while maintaining their
home base identities and contacts would reveal the
commonality existing among the presently segregated groups.
Such cross-pollination could induce new vigor into our
denomination.

That’s one of my goals. That’s one of the reasons |
choose to continue wearing my plain suit and to identify with
the conservative elements. That’s, also, one of the reasons |
have folk dancing Mennonite friends who shop on Sunday.

Ed

sail

Kenneth Sensenig grew up in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, holds an
M.Ed. from Penn State University, and is an MCC-er in agriculture
education in Swaziland.

Festival Quarterly 13

Convictions in Our Fellowship

Cultivating All the Land

marital status.

Well-kept, picturesque Amish farms are favorites for
photographers appearing on postcards, calendars, and
magazine covers. A beautiful farm is not an accident—it is an
accomplishment. It takes a lot of work to keep up the
buildings and to cultivate the land. The loveliest part of any
Amish farm is the combination flower and vegetable garden.
Much hoeing is required to keep it clean, not just in one
spot but throughout. If too much time is spent in one place,
soon weeds will be beyond control in another.

What is true for an Amish farm is also true for an Amish
congregation. To be successful, it requires much work and a
lot of convictions. If too much emphasis is placed on one

Richard Reinhold

conviction, another area will suffer. The sowing and the
hoeing must be uniform. With careful cultivation by all
concerned, laity as well as ministry, a congregation will
prosper spiritually.

Our congregation is just completing its thirtieth year,
having been founded by settlers from southern Indiana in
1953. | have lived here for half of the congregation’s
existence. One major conviction which the earliest settlers
had was that young people, aged 16-21, should not have to
go through a period of rebellion or sowing wild oats so
commonly experienced by young people in the older, larger
Amish settlements.

From the beginning, our congregation has made a
conscious effort to break down barriers or generation gaps
between the married and the unmarried. The holy kiss is not
given just by the older married men but by all baptized
members, male and male, female and female, regardless if
they are married or not. At the Sunday evening singings,
which are the traditional Amish youth gatherings, half a
dozen married couples are also invited—not merely to act as
chaperones but to break down the generation gap. At the
church services, young, unmarried Amishmen are called
upon to lead songs, and at work bees the men are
encouraged to visit back and forth regardless of age or

14 November, December, 1982, January, 1983

“From the beginning, our congregation has made a conscious effort to break down barriers or generation gaps...’

by David Luthy

A high standard of courtship is another conviction held
by our congregation. Believing that strong marriages make
strong homes, which in turn make a strong church, we have
always discouraged casual dating. Young people are taught to
view marriage as a serious, lifetime commitment. Semi-
monthly dating from 9 to 12 on Sunday evenings is the norm.

Have these convictions been tested? Oh, yes. There has
been teaching to do and discipling. Today the convictions
remain firm and the congregation growing, having divided
into two congregations several years ago. In fact the
courtship standards during the past ten years have risen.

?

Where thirty years ago a couple could have (and a few did)
marry at ages 18 or 19, now our young people don’t even
begin dating until that age, resulting in more mature
marriages.

In the past years our congregation’s convictions about
caring for our own people, not expecting the government to,
have been tested. The local tax office has pushed for Amish
participation in the Canada Pension Plan and Unemployment
Insurance. Money is being seized, but people are not
participating.

But | do not believe our Amish beliefs and way of life
will ever be destroyed by such outward forces. It is the forces
within that we must watch. Every group of any duration
cannot live on the convictions of its grandparents. Each of us
must make those convictions our own. There is an Amish
saying, ‘““The young people of today are the church of
tomorrow.” Is it any wonder, then, that our ministers and
parents are so concerned about cultivating convictions in
them?

David Luthy, a member of the Old Order Amish, is the
director of the Amish Historical Library which is part of
Pathway Publishers, Aylmer, Ontario.

—— a

Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions

Since we come from the Catholic background, belief in a
new faith is very difficult for us. We have had many traditions
— and then discover many of them aren’t based on the Bible.
So our new faith is really a whole new experience.

Pastoral work in the Spanish congregation is given to
helping the people keep the faith, to teach them discipling.
We put an emphasis on the way we should be identified. We
have to witness about our new faith; we have to testify. To
be a witness to the Lord we have to experience a faith that
leads us to a purer life; we need to love, to be faithful, and
to have victory.

When we work with non-Christians we help them see

x.

ee es

Jose Santiago in Caracus, Venezuela.

that life in Christ brings peace, joy, eternal life, salvation,
hope.

Many problems can be helped, like marriage problems.
The people who come to Christ stop drinking, stop smoking,
stop gambling. One brother in our Bible study last night
talked about how before he was a Christian he used to
always fight his wife. Now he has more love for his wife and
children; he behaves better financially. Now when he gets his
paycheck, he first takes out his tithe for the Lord, then for his
bills, then for his family. That would be the experience of
most of the Spanish.

We want to start a campaign of visiting in non-Christian
homes. Our congregation is divided into three groups and
every Saturday evening each group meets at the same hour
in three different homes. Then each group invites their
neighbors. In Caracas (Venezuela) we divided into seventeen
groups; two people in each group. Each invited neighbors
and the Church really grew. The year 1983 is going to be one.
in which we grow here. We have the potential; we have the
facilities!

In the last five or six years we have been experiencing a
new revival of the Holy Spirit in our church. Some of our
members are not so open to that, but many are more open
to the Spirit than they used to be. But some of the others are

Two groups within our faith family are experiencing
considerable growth: the Old Order Amish and Hispanic
Mennonites.

FQ asked a spokesperson from each group to reflect on
where the scrimmage lines are in their convictions these
days; what convictions are being tested (either from within or

without); and how they work at shoring up convictions.
66 7
We Have to Testify ...

We Have to Keep Our Young People”

by Jose Santiago

leaving because they are not open. Now we have musical
instruments and that’s really helping. The churches are
experiencing growth since then.

We teach our young people nonconformity with the
world. We have an organization for the young people. We
teach them that the only way is salvation in the Lord. Once
they recognize that, then we provide activities and Bible
studies to keep them faithful.

There is a weekly youth activity. Tomorrow evening
they’re having a film and coffeehouse for three of our
churches. Last night was a Bible study; about a third of the
meetings are Bible studies. All of that is how we try to keep
our young people. Three weeks ago the eight congregations
in our Council had a get-together for the young people.
About 125 came for a talent show. They shared fellowship
and a meal. There was a message and a band. And that’s
good. There are so many things out there in the world for
our young people.

s

?

José Santiago is Chairman of the Spanish Mennonite Council (for
Region V) and President of that Board, pastor of Iglesia Menonita Del
Buen Pastor (Good Shepherd Mennonite Church) in Lancaster,
Pennsylvania and a staff person at the Eastern Mennonite Board of
Missions where he works with prison ministries, Christmas
International Homes and the Minority Christian Education program.

He and his family recently spent four years in Caracas,
Venezuela, helping establish a church.

Festival Quarterly 15

Illustration by Craig N. Heisey
f »

_
i>)

November, December, 1982, January, 1983

The fall of 1917 | started first grade in Cambridge,
Pennsylvania. World War | was in progress. | remember the
day well when my parents and the three children they had
then went to Lancaster where my father had to appear before
a Draft Board. Because of his family, he never did have to go
to a military camp, where he would have accepted execution
before he would become a soldier, so strong were his
convictions that disciples of Christ were to be people of
peace.

The deepest convictions, ethical and theological, were in
those days not much talked about, but somehow even first
graders in school knew what their parents believed. |
remember how at school | learned to sing patriotic songs and
ditties, such as how Betsy Ross made the flag, and how Kaiser
Bill was to be destroyed.

Our young people now know the raison d’étre for
being a nonresistant family of God far better than their elders
did in 1917. We now have numerous books, booklets, and
tracts on the subject of force and violence: some by
Mennonites, some by Church of the Brethren, some by the
Society of Friends, and some by other authors such as the
Dagger and the Cross by Rutenber.

In 1880 the typical persons making their covenant of faith
and discipleship were married—as were my grandparents,
Aaron S. and Maria (Martin) Wenger at Weaverland. They
were married in 1877, and united with the church in 1879. My
father was 15 in 1899 when he was baptized. By 1940 the age
of baptism in the “Old”? Mennonite Church was anywhere
from seven to twelve. Through the prodding of one of our
younger scholars, such as Gideon G. Yoder (1908-1971) a
teacher at Hesston College, the usual baptismal age has
largely been pushed up to the teens.

Our people did not know much about psychology,
sociology, and counseling in 1920, but we did believe that
with the help of God almost every married couple could
make something of a success of their marriage. All of us can
recall times when our parents could have profited by a series
of counseling sessions, but they had strong convictions that
marriage in Christ was for life, and that in the power of the
Holy Spirit they would be able to have a successful home.
Generally, they did!

:

fictions

ne and Retrieved

In the Lancaster Conference in 1920 (my parents were
members of the Old Road Congregation just east of the
village of White Horse) a number of our people raised
tobacco, a crop which paid well. It is simply amazing the way
this has been almost eradicated in the main body of
Mennonites in Lancaster County. Early in this century my
Grandfather Wenger (1852-1922) suddenly announced one
spring that he would no longer raise tobacco, for he had
three sons. He did not want them to use the weed, nor did
he wish to produce it for others to use.

... It is going to take the best
teaching we can muster to maintain
any semblance of the simple life, of
nonconformity to the standards and
ideals of the world, to a consistent
non-resistance and non-litigation, to
the conviction that the Bible is the
Word of God. ..

In my high school years, 1924-28, some Mennonite young
people participated in “organized sports,” with a sort of
reluctant “ignorance” on the part of some church leaders,
and some young people also slipped through theater doors
to see movies. Today many more young people attend the
theater, but many of them are far more discriminating than
were their grandparents.

A century ago some of our people used both alcoholic
drinks and tobacco in moderation for their health, but over
the years the opinion of many doctors that, ‘“We have far
better drugs now,” has been largely adopted. In a society
where immoral living, divorce, drinking, smoking, dancing,
and uncritical theater attendance are considered more or
less normal, the teaching program of the church has been
only moderately successful in many cases. However, the
moral behavior of our young people is vastly higher than
among those who make no profession of Christian faith and
discipleship.

by J. C. Wenger

In the time of World War | we had but few people who
were more than weli-to-do. | remember Orie O. Miller once
remarking that so far we had no Mennonite millionaires. That
is enough to make sociologists smile today, for the major
bodies of Mennonites now have people of considerable
wealth, even if we would give the dollar its value in 1940. But
what has happened? Our young people in most encouraging
numbers are entering Voluntary Service for two or three
years, getting along on a subsistence level, and some are
uniting with intentional communities where the concern is
for the care of every member of the group, not “every man
for himself.”

Our standard of living has risen amazingly in the recent
decades: better cars, more higher education, many young
people entering medicine, dentistry, veterinary science,
university teaching, and even comparatively big business. It is
going to take the best teaching we can muster to maintain
any semblance of the simple life, of nonconformity to the
standards and ideals of the world, to a consistent
nonresistance and non-litigation, to the conviction that the
Bible is the Word of God, and the like. Our distinctive
languages are fast being forgotten (Pennsylvania German, and
Plattdeutsch), our non-wearing of mustaches, whatever garb
we had prior to 1950 (especially by the ministry), the wearing
of the worship veil and the bonnet, and a host of such
items—all are in the process of being surrendered across the
brotherhood. This is often painful to our members, especially
to those over 65.

On the other hand, our concern for minorities on this
continent and for foreign missions combined with economic
uplift are being greatly strengthened. New Mennonite
worship clusters are being created in many cities, especially
those with universities, and the major Mennonite bodies are
getting to know and respect and to love one another more.
Pulpit exchange is becoming common. And all are united in
the Mennonite Central Committee and its good work, in
Mennonite Mutual Aid, and in the Mennonite World
Conference. On the basis both of the Word of God, and of
observation, it is clear that Christ is leading His Church
through His Holy Spirit.

J. C. Wenger is a writer, historian, Biblical scholar, and professor
at the Associated Biblical Seminaries, Elkhart, Indiana.

Festival Quarterly 17

worldwide news

Anabaptist Center in Tokyo Organizes Library

A melting pot of people from Jewish,
Japanese and Mennonite backgrounds
have cooperated to bring into life a library
of Anabaptist materials including about
4,500 volumes.

Wartime Europe saw Robert
Friedmann, a Mennonite from = an
Austrian Jewish family forced to move to
the States, where he spent two years
organizing the Mennonite Historical
Library at Goshen College.

Thousands of miles away, a Japanese
economist, Gan Sakakibarwa, with a

strong interest in intentional Christian
communities, came across a book about
the Hutterites and later became a
Mennonite himself. He was deeply
interested in furthering, translating and
publishing texts on Anabaptism, and used
his own money to finance eleven volumes
on the subject.

Finally Sakakibarwa and Friedmann
met and became acquainted and in 1969,
one year before his death, Friedmann sold
his 1,500 volume library of Anabaptist
works to Sakakibarwa who built it to its

present 4,500 volume capacity, covering
works in German, Dutch, English and
Japanese some of which date back to the
mid-1500’s.

The Anabaptist Center in Tokyo,
which houses the Friedmann-
Sakakibarwa collection, recently received
the help of Rosemary Wyse, a specialist in
library science from Goshen College, IN,
to catalog and organize the collection.
This fulfills a lifelong dream for
Sakakibarwa, who is now in his eighties.

Mexico’s House of
Three Cultures Portrays
Mennonite Heritage

“The House of Three Cultures” was
dedicated and opened this summer by the
governor of the State of Chihuahua in
Cuauhtémoc, Mexico. The House will
display the products of Mennonites,
Tarahumara Indians and Mexicans. The
Director, a Mexican, by the name of
Humberto Ramos, is concerned that
“Mennonites will lose their culture as
easily as they sell their old pieces of
furniture to antique dealers.”

A restaurant, which would serve
typical foods from the three cultures is
projected, as well as a theatre-like room
with pictures and recordings to portray
the history of each culture.

Hong Kong Locale of
This Year's
International
Reconciliation Camp

The Lok-Fu Mennonite Church in
Hong Kong sponsored this year’s 11th
two-week International Reconciliation
work camp to bring together young
people of Asia for discussion and work
projects for the community. This year’s
task included building a 60-meter access
road, an area for a senior citizen’s park
and general gardening.

Afternoon discussion sessions
included topics such as the religious,
social, economic and political issues
facing the Asian Anabaptist Church.
Mennonite pastor Peter Wung from
Taiwan gave lectures on “The Christian
Attitude to Poverty, other Faiths, and the
State.”

Multi-purpose Mennonite Center Opens in
Colombia, South America

September 5-12, 1982 was the formal
time of inauguration and dedication of a
three story, multi-purpose Mennonite
Center in Bogota, Colombia, South
America. It houses the bookstore ‘“‘La
Luz,” office space for MENCOLDES, (a
joint program of MCC and Mennonite

Economic Development Associates), the
general secretary and audio-visual
agency; a parsonage, sanctuary, nursery
and classroom for the Teusaquillo
congregation; conference and guest
rooms. There are plans for a Mennonite
Library and theological training center.

Behrends, German
Author of Books
@
about Mennonites,
e
Dies

The association of German
Mennonite congregations sent
representation to the funeral of 91-year-
old poet and writer Ernst Behrends on July
15, 1982.

Behrends was well-known to
Mennonites for his series of six novels, A
People of Migration, in which he
portrayed the story of the Mennonites.
Behrends first became interested in the
subject in 1929 when thousands of Russian

Mennonite refugees poured into Molln,
Behrends’ hometown.

18 November, December, 1982, January, 1983

Elsewhere. . .

@ This summer 500 Swiss Mennonites
dedicated the site of the “Tauferbriicke,”
the ‘Anabaptist Bridge,” high in the Jura
mountains. The “Tauferbriicke” spanned
a gorge that connected Anabaptist farms.
It was located in the canton of Basel, ruled
by a more tolerant bishop of the Roman
Catholic Church who permitted the
persecuted Anabaptists to inhabit the
mountains above 1000 meters altitude.
Fleeing Anabaptists and their descend-
ants have met for worship at the
“Tauferbriicke” since the seventeenth
century.

A placque bearing the verse, |
Corinthians 3:11 in both French and
German, was installed during a special
worship service by the Conference of
Swiss Mennonites and the Swiss
Mennonite Historical Society.

@ The small village of Weierhof inthe
Palatinate in Germany is celebrating its
300th year of Mennonite heritage. A
special praise service was held on
October 17, and a historical exhibit added
to the celebration.

@ In 1922, the promise of military
exemption and private education
brought thousands of Canadian
Mennonites to Mexico. This year, 60 years
of their sojourn there were celebrated
with reflection, drama, worship and
thanksgiving. The largest settlement of
Mennonites is in the Cuauhtémoc,
Chihuahua area.

‘camp in Florida during the

creatively aging :

Retired Teacher Goes to Camp

Les “Cookie” Cook has enjoyed
young people, nature, and creativity all of
his life. Now that he’s retired from
teaching, it is no less so.

Cook has worked with his wife Irene
at the Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp,
Divide, Colorado, for the past two
summers. They’ve been helping there for
twenty years but since retirement have
thrown themselves into the camp
experience. They hope to alternate witha
winter
months.

“Vm a firm believer that Christian
camping is one of the best ways to reach
young people, to counsel them, to lead
them to Christ, and to help them to
develop in all ways,” he told Festival
Quarterly.

Cook taught high school for thirty-
four years in various parts of Colorado. He
lives in Wheat Ridge now. He and Irene
have four children and one grandchild.

When Cook retired from teaching in
1980, two things happened which he
remembers fondly. He was honored as

FQ/Merle Good

Colorado Biology Teacher of the Year,
and he was also honored at the
graduation ceremonies that year at the
school where he taught. “It was
rewarding in that | felt that I had
accomplished some of the things | wanted
for students—good attitudes toward life,
curiosity, and a willingness to learn.”

One of the high points of Cook’s
career which blended all of his interests
was his development of a two-week
summer program for high school students
in field biology to be taught in the
mountains. At Rocky Mountain
Mennonite Camp _ he’s involved in
programs for the campus in nature study,
hiking, mountain ecology, stream
ecology, and terrestial community
ecology.

Cook is grateful that his retirement
has become an extension of his vocational
interests. “It’s been a tremendous thing
that people have allowed us to do this,”
he concluded. “We feel very fulfilled.”

Mennonite Woman’s Dolls Subjects for Canadian Stamps

Canada Post issued a series of three
Christmas stamps this past holiday
season—all designed from photographers
of Hella Braun’s handmade figures of the
nativity.

Mrs. Braun, a Mennonite woman
from Kitchener, Ontario, was born in the
Ukraine. There she learned, while a

preschooler, to make dolls by watching
her neighbor. Later her doll-making craft
became an economic lifeline for her
family when she made them to sell so she,
her mother, and two sisters could eat.
Her dolls met with less demand in
Canada in the 1950’s and so she stopped
creating them. The dolls are now

considered highly unusual and are sought
after. This summer Mrs. Braun sold the
figures featured in the three stamps to the
postal museum in Ottawa. The quaint
stuffed figures were the subjects on the
30-cent, 35-cent, and 60-cent Canadian
Christmas stamps.

Every Afternoon at the Easel

Manford Kilmer spends nearly every
afternoon at his ease!, not because he
must, but because he wants to. For 27
years he worked in printing at the Ohio
Match Co.; then he was a lab technician
for the B.F. Goodrich Co. These days he
does what he likes to do—‘‘and that is
painting!” he explains.

His wife must have sensed _ his
interest, for about 20 years ago she bought
him an easel and oil paints. He dabbled
then, but since his retirement spends
many serious hours in the basement of his
Wadsworth, Ohio, home working on
landscapes and still lifes.

What caused his interest in art? “As |
think back | remember that my
grandfather had an itinerant artist paint a
picture of his farm. This painting hung in
an upstairs bedroom. My folks lived with
my grandfather when | was a child and |
can still see this painting,’ recalls
Manford. “Also back in 1920 when | was
10 my parents subscribed to The Saturday

Evening Post. There was a series of articles
in the Post written by Rockwell Kent
about a painting expedition he made to

Manford Kilmer of Wadsworth, Ohio.

Alaska and then to South America. In his
writing about his experiences he created
within me a desire to paint.”

Sixty years later Manford’s urge is still
alive. “I exhibit paintings every year,” he
says with enthusiasm. The Ohio
Commission on Aging holds an annual
exhibit in the rotunda of the State House
for artists who are over 60. Manford has
sold several there. And he has exhibited at
a local public library as well as the Pitman
(0) Fine Arts Foundation. But, he hurries
to explain, ““My reason for painting is not
to sell paintings but to do what | like to
do.”

Manford’s brother Ralph and Ralph’s
wife Mildred are also disciplined and
enthused painters. They have painted
their grandparents and Ralph is working
on portraits of their own children and
grandchildren.

These Kilmers take it all very
seriously. “I’m so busy,” says Manford, “I
wouldn’t have time to hold a job!”

Festival Quarterly 19

farmer's thoughts

The Seasons

by Sanford Eash

Summer heat and winter snows. I like
the change in seasons. | don’t mean to
complain about the weather, but the
winters of ’78 and ’82 were the worst
northern Indiana has ever recorded.

The winter of ’82 was just taking a
deep breath in December ’81. We were in
Florida the second, third and fourth
Sundays in January 82. Athome the Worst
Storms seemed to be aimed at the
weekends and church services were
cancelled. We came back to Indiana in
late January when the Worst Storms were
over but cold and stormy weather stayed
into late March. Then in April we had
another mini blizzard.

Taking care of the hogs was not a
pleasant or easy job in January or February
but the hardest part for me was not being
able to get out and help in the severe
weather. The snow was so deep | never
ventured out to the pond only 150 feet
away from our house. | worried about the

fish suffocating but that turned out to be
unnecessary.

The winter of ’82 is behind us and we
had a beautiful late spring. Planting time
came with a rush. In July when moisture
became critical the soft warm rains came.
They continued coming, not in storms but
gently, and the temperatures and
humidity stayed high. Real midwest corn-
growing weather. | don’t believe | ever
saw the corn fields change as rapidly as
this year. The fall harvest started in
September, weeks earlier than usual. It
was a beautiful crop.

It’s winter again, so do we run to
Florida or Arizona? Many do. | have no
criticism of them; many need to leave the
cold because of health reasons. To us it
just isn’t attractive to stay at one vacation
spot for three or four months of winter. It
seems those places are always ina hurry to
go somewhere, to eat out, or visit. That’s
all right for a week or two but it isn’t very

A quiet, relaxing atmo-
sphere for your group’s re-
treats. Each of our motel
rooms offer DD phones,
color TV, and Inn Room cof-
fee. Acres of lawn, play-
ground, tennis and volleyball
courts, game room, and indoor pool are all for your

enjoyment.

Our restaurant specializes in good ‘home cooking”’
including daily local specialties. Banquet and meeting
rooms are available for up to 275 persons.

Bird -In- Hand

Motor Jnn-

Restaurant

Located 7 miles east of Lancaster on Route 340. Phone (717) 768-8271

20 November, December, 1982, January, 1983

relaxing for a retired midwest farmer.
When the snowstorms come and the
driveway is drifted shut, we simply stay in
the house by the cozy wood fire and read
and write. There could be a lot worse
predicaments. There’s a certain excite-

»« +» 10US. 1tepusi
isn't attractive to
stay at one vacation
spot for three or
four months of
winter. It seems
those places are
always in a hurry to
go somewhere, to
eat out or visit.
That’s all right for a
week or two but it
isn’t very relaxing
for a retired mid-
West farmer.

ment about a snowstorm, a snugness if
you can stay inside.

When we were young we heard
stories by the old-timers, telling how bad
the winters were when they were young.
We thought they were “windy” or else
were grossly exaggerating. One thing for
sure, | can’t tell the
children and grand-
children about the
severe winters of the

past; they lived
through some of the
worst ones.

&

Sanford Eash is a retired farmer from
Goshen, Indiana. Sanford, with the help of his
wife, Orpha, is writing regularly. Together they
also do a lot of traveling.

international quiz

Great Books and Authors

How to Apply
To Receive FQ — Free

of the Mennonite Family

by Paul N. Kraybill

L.

10.

Which of the following would you choose to describe the Ausbund?

a. The oldest Christian hymnbook in continuous use until the present.
b. A Mennonite songbook of German origin, compiled in prison in 1564.
c. The oldest Mennonite publication in continuous use and still in print.
d. A hymnbook used currently by the Old Order Amish.

. The 1727 edition of the Dordrecht Confession, a Dutch Mennonite Confession of

Faith, printed in English in Philadelphia was the first Mennonite book printed in the
New World.

a. True b. False

What do these persons have in common?

a. Takashi Yamada, Japan d. Isaac Mpofu, Zimbabwe

b. Gan Sakikabarwa, Japan e. Ernesto Suarez Vilela, Argentina

c. Daniel S. Schipani, Puerto Rico

. Who wrote what is most certainly the earliest Mennonite scholarly treatise in

defense of “foreign missions” and opposing colonialism?
a. Samuel S. Haury €.1S. CG. Yoder
b. Christian Neff d. Pieter Janz

. Which book is the all-time Herald Press (Scottdale, PA, USA) best-seller,

and most likely the all-time best-seller by a Mennonite author?
a. Mennonite Community Cookbook, Mary Emma Showalter
b. Living More With Less, Doris Longacre

c. Amish Life, John A. Hostetler

d. Doctrines of the Bible, Daniel Kauffman.

. What is Tenzi Za Rahoni?

a. A catechism book in Spanish published in Colombia
b. A Bible used by Indonesian Mennonite congregations
c. A Swahili songbook produced by Mennonites in East Africa

. What do these names represent: Biestkins, Froshauer, Taufer Testamente?

a. Cities where Anabaptists lived b. Early Mennonite leaders
c. Versions of the Bible used by early Anabaptists in the 16th and 17th centuries

. Which of the following was a Mennonite world traveler and author in the 19th

century whose writings stimulated the beginning of Mennonite relief and mission
work in India?

a. P. M. Friesen
b. P. C. Hiebert

c. George Lambert
d. A. E. Janzen

. What book, notable for its size, originally published in the Netherlands in 1660 and

printed in Ephrata, Pennsylvania in 1748, was likely to be found in homes of
Mennonite settlers in North America in the 18th and 19th centuries and is still in
rint?

> Martyr’s Mirror c. Introduction to Theology

b. The Complete Writings of Menno Simons

Match the following:

—— A. Fundamentbuch
(“Foundation Book’’)

1. An early collection of hymns and anthems

published in 1832 by Joseph Funk in the

Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Guldene Aepffel in Silbern 2. A complete prayerbook, published in 1739,

Schalen (“Golden Apples”) marking an innovative new approach to the use
of written prayers by German Mennonites in
place of voluntary, extemporaneous prayers.

. Enchiridion (“Handbook”) 3. A book of doctrine prepared by Menno

Simons in 1539, probably his most important

writing.

4. The first printed devotional book of the Swiss

Brethren, a compilation of testimonies of

martyrs, prayers, letters, etc.

. Geistreiches Gesangbuch 5. A collection of doctrinal writings and letters

by Dirk Philips, in handbook form, published in

1564.

6. Asongbook of the West Prussian and Russian

Mennonites, compiled in Danzig in 1767, still in

use after more than 200 years, particularly

among Old Colony Mennonites.

== 6;

. Ernsthafte Christenpflicht

. Harmonia Sacra

Paul Kraybill is Executive Secretary for Mennonite World Conference.

(Answers on page 22.)

, Mar tent

2 festival g juartert y :

meres

(through the International
Subscription Fund)

The International Subscription
Fund is to assist persons overseas
(excluding western Europe but
including Central and South Americas)
to receive FESTIVAL QUARTERLY
magazine free of charge. Overseas
personnel of Mennonite programs and
projects are also eligible.

Qualified persons will receive a
two-year subscription free. The
signature of the congregational leader
or organizational representative
recommending the application — is
required.

It is suggested that the applicant be
active (or interested) in the life of the
church (not necessarily Mennonite) and
have a fair command of the English
language to qualify.

Forward coupon to:
Mennonite World Conference
International Subscription Fund
528 E. Madison St.
Lombard, IL 60148

Date
Name
Address
City
Country

Congregation
Affiliation

Address

Verified by
Representative
signature

title or relationship

Festival Quarterly 21

Reprinted in World Press Review. December, 1982.

Quiz
Answers

1. All of the choices! a. b. c. d.

2. True.

3. These persons are Third World
Mennonite writers whose works have
been published.

4. d. Pieter Janz wrote Java’s Zen-
dingveld, published in Amsterdam in
1865 as a reply to critics of missions.

5. c. Amish Life by John A. Hostetler
(665,000 sold).

6. c. A Swahili songbook produced by
Mennonites in East Africa. First pub-
lished in 1954, it has been printed in 5
editions, 11 printings, with more than
185,000 copies.

rg op

8. c. George Lambert, a Mennonite
Brethren in Christ minister traveled
around the world in 1894 and wrote
two books, Around the Globe and
Through Bible Lands (1896) and India,
the Horror-Stricken Empire (1898),
both published by Herald Publishing
Company in Elkhart, Indiana.

9. a. Martyr’s Mirror, by T. J.
Braght.

10. As Sie Brc4s Ge 520. Da2: ES abet:

Van

AND \F You
TELL ALIE, YOUR
NOSE WILL GROW

AG,

why?

ae

BECAUSE BEING
HONEST AND

SINCERE 15 THE
OuLy Way To CET
AHEAD IN LIFE,

ceipkid-

El Mundo/Medellin

Ze

publishing notes

© Two new publications arising out of the Old
Order Mennonite world are worthy of note.

From Pennsylvania comes a 1,130 page
history written and published in 1982 by Amos
B. Hoover, entitled; The Jonas Martin Era,
1875-1925; Presented in a Collection of Essays,
Letters and Documents That Shed Light on The
Mennonite Churches During the 50 Year
Ministry (1875-1925) Of Bishop Jonas H. Martin.
Collected, arranged, edited, interpreted and
published by Amos B. Hoover.

Handbound because of their size, copies sell
for $45 each ($50 after January 1, 1983). This
collection reflects Jonas Martin’s personal
correspondence, his life story, church rules of the
time, and an Old Order Mennonite bibliography
listing 766 sources.

From Ontario, Canada comes the
Conestogo Mennonite Cookbook compiled by
Isaac R. Horst, with a cover design by Erla
Martin. Recipes are in both metric and
standard measurements. Interspersed with the
recipes are small chapters on Old Order
Mennonite life, worship services, quiltings,
Mennonite etiquette and more.

@ Canadians now have a new source of
information on radio programs, Choice Books
and other media programs of the Mennonite
Church. Communique is the new newsletter
coming out of Mennonite Media Ministries in
Kitchener, Ontario.

@ Paraguay’s Fernheim Colony started
publishing a children’s magazine this year
called Kinderblatt. Editor Hedwig Derksen is
hopeful that the paper will eventually have a
readership among Mennonites in other South
American countries as well as in Canada.

e A bi-monthly newsletter is being planned to
replace Forum, the young adult and student
magazine co-published by the Mennonite
Church and General Conference Mennonite
Church. The first issue of the as yet nameless
periodical is scheduled for late fall, 1982. Issues
will be published year-around and will be
developed thematically.

® Two booklets, published to celebrate the
50th year of Hispanic Mennonites, are available
from the Mennonite Board of Missions,
Elkhart, Indiana. Both booklets are written in
Spanish; the one, 107-pages long, includes 12
essays about Hispanic church life written by
José Ortiz, Angel Miranda, Mary Bustos and
others.

The second booklet presents the case
studies of three families: the Santiagos, the
Rodriguezes and the Valtierras, who came to
the Mennonite Church from Mexican-
American, Puerto Rican and South American
backgrounds. Writers of the case studies
include Angel Perez, Ramiro Hernandez, José
Ortiz and Iwing Perez.

@ A tormer Voluntary Service Worker, Justus
Holsinger, has written a bilingual, Spanish and

November, December, 1982, January, 1983

English history of The Mennonite Work in
Puerto Rico 1941-81, published by the
Mennonite Board of Missions, Elkhart, Indiana.

@ A new study book in Spanish by LaVerne
Rutschman is entitled Radical Anabaptism and
Latin American Theology of Liberation. The
author designed it as a_ textbook for
nonresident students in his work as a General
Conference Mennonite professor in Costa
Rica.

@ Several peace literature publications reflect
a growing concern in our world today.

The fortieth anniversary of Mennonite
Central Committee’s Peace Section prompted
a packet of peace stories, called Remembering:
Stories of Peacemakers, highlighting the
Mennonite peace witness through the years. It
is available free of charge from the MCC Peace
Section in Akron, PA. Included in the packet
are a dozen short plays, monologues and
readings which can be used in church
programs.

Also available free of charge from the
MCC Peace Section is Nuclear Energy: Two
Mennonite Views by John D. Stahl of Eastern
Mennonite College in Harrisonburg, VA, a
chemistry and geology professor, and Henry D.
Weaver of the University of California, former
professor and provost of Goshen, (IN) College.

Another booklet is published jointly by
Mennonite World Conference and_ the
International Mennonite Peace Committee,
entitled The Biblical Way of Peace by Helmut
Harder. It is a compilation of papers presented
at the Mennonite World Conference General
Council in Nairobi, Kenya, 1981 and centers on
the church’s mission in society.

® Letters Concerning the Spread of the
Gospel, published by Herald Press, of
Scottdale, PA, records the atmosphere and
language of some of the first Mennonite
missionary movements of North America.
Author Samuel S. Haury’s letters provide a key
to understanding 19th century Mennonite
missionary origins.

@ Seventy-five years of Gospel Herald, the
official Mennonite Church publication, will be
commemorated in a book to be published in
April of 1983. Included will be profiles of
editors, staff and contributors as well as reprints
of Herald articles that reflect current thinking
throughout the magazine’s seventy-five years.

@ The Mennonite Hymnal is now available
from Herald Press, Scottdale, PA, in large print,
and in larger format, an easy-to-read edition.

© Vignettes and Collages by Miriam Sieber
Lind is a smorgasbord of the author’s warm
family life. The softcover edition, published in
1981, contains drawings, anecdotes, photos,
music and stories. Available through Provident
Bookstore in Scottdale, PA.

mennonite books: in review

Caring Enough To Hear and Be

Heard, David w. Augsburger. Herald
Press, 1982. $4.95.

Reviewed by Ruth Detweiler Lesher

Communication is the bottom-line
issue in this book. If you are already
familiar with communication theory, you
will not find new information here. But if
you’re attempting to share these skills
with a group, this is among the most
creatively presented, compact, and well-
modeled that you'll find. So much truth
about relationships is presented, that one
might feel bombarded and too quickly
saturated when reading the book alone and
in less than three “sittings.” If com-
munication skills can be learned step by step
and with practice, Augsburger has compiled
a comprehensive and well balanced set of
instructions (he incorporates a wide range
of good sources).

This is a book to recommend for
improving relationships in general; it is
geared toward more than one particular
communication problem. Because it is so
well-balanced it may seem contradictory
at the first reading. For example,

Augsburger notes that in some situations
silence is violent and foreboding, whereas
silence in dialogues comes to mean
confidence.

Augsburger draws his ideas and
techniques primarily from psychological
rather than theological sources.
Psychology has some valuable tools to aid
relationships among brothers and sisters
in the faith; however, | would like to have
seen theology integrated more
thoroughly in this book. Augsburger does
add support and _ illustrations from
communicators in the Scriptures which
makes the book appropriate for small
church-related groups.

Ruth Detweiler Lesher is a psychologist at
Philhaven Hospital, Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

FQ price — $3.95
(Regular price — $4.95)

Messenger Of Grace: A_ Bi-

ography of C. N. Hostetter, Jr., £.
Morris Sider. Evangel Press, 1982. $5.95.

Reviewed by Alice W. Lapp

E. Morris Sider, Professor and
Archivist at Messiah College, describes C.
N. Hostetter, Jr. as a pious youth who early
developed an active interest in church
affairs as he assisted his father in General
Conference business for the Brethren in
Christ. Ordained at 20, Hostetter was
handed heavy church _ responsibilities
early and steadily. In 1934, elected
President of Messiah Bible School, he
worked literally day and night to move the
school forward. During his term Messiah
progressed from being a Bible school to
an accredited four year liberal arts
college. During nearly every semester he
taught from one to three classes in
addition to writing countless letters,
holding revival meetings, overseeing
college publications, planning tours for
music groups, and even cleaning
lavatories upon occasion. He upheld the
faith so well that students were said to be
more conservative when leaving Messiah

than when they first came. In addition he
was Chairman of both Mennonite Central
Committee and World Relief Commission
from 1959 to 1967 and traveled world-
wide for these organizations.

One chapter portrays his regret at
being so busy that he had little time for his
four sons. Almost nothing is mentioned of
his wife’s part in supporting his busy life.
Whether this is Sider’s oversight or the
Hostetter family style is unclear. Hostetter
was a bridge between the Brethren in
Christ and the Mennonites in both his
preaching and his committee work.
Anyone who has roots in either church
will enjoy reading about this influential
church leader.

Alice W. Lapp, Goshen, Indiana, is an
English teacher and active as a church and
community volunteer.

FQ price — $5.35
(Regular price — $5.95)

The New China, Winifred Nelson
Beechy. Herald Press, 1982. 264 pages. $6.95.

Reviewed by Paul S. Ropp

In the fall of 1980 Winifred and Atlee
Beechy accompanied twenty Goshen
(Indiana) College students on a 16-week
Study-Service Trimester in Chengdu,
Sichuan. This unprecedented exchange
program in a relatively remote part of
China provides the setting of The New
China.

In an informal conversational style,
Mrs. Beechy takes the reader on a
“walking tour of China,” chronicling her
four months there and briefly reviewing
Ghitvasvenistory, culture ‘and
contemporary society.

The best parts of the book are the
most personal: describing the culture
shock of Americans living in China, the
excitement of first-time China visitors, the
sharing with Chinese Christians who
suffered through the Cultural Revolution,
and the basic friendliness and persistent
(if weatherbeaten) optimism of the
Chinese people. Aware of China’s deep
resentment of Western imperialism in

modern times, Mrs. Beechy has wise
advice for Western church leaders as they
seek to renew contacts with the Christian
church in China.

Perhaps no brief introduction to
China can probe very far beneath the
surface of appearances, and this book is
no exception. The historical, political and
sociological descriptions based on
readings and Chinese briefings are less
effective than the personal observations
and anecdotes. Still, for interested
laypeople in need of a brief introduction
to China with special emphasis on
Chinese Christianity, The New China
provides a valuable starting point.

Dr. Paul S. Ropp is a Far East scholar in the
Department of History at Memphis (TN) State
University.

FQ price — $5.55
(Regular price — $6.95)

Festival Quarterly 23

mennonite books: in review

Joining the Army That Sheds No

Blood, susan Clemmer Steiner. Herald
Press, 1982. $6.95.

Reviewed by Frances Jackson

This is not the first book that | have
read on the subject of peace but it is one
of the best. It is simple yet profound. The
chapters are well organized for the
person who may choose just to read one
chapter at a time.

Steiner has successfully chosen a
difficult and broad subject and developed
a thorough evaluation of peace and the
issues related to it. She answers all of the
questions she raises. The reader’s
attention will be stimulated by her
examples of peacemakers through the
stories she shares, the _ biblical
background and her ease of flow from the
topics of enemies to facts about
peacemakers.

Peace is something that we hear
about all of our lives both inside and
outside of the Church. We are not usually
given answers to this complicated issue.
This book expresses Steiner’s gift for
teaching others.

| would highly recommend this book
for persons of all ages. | would especially
encourage serious study of this book by
young people.

Frances Jackson, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, is active in the Afro-American
Mennonite Association (AAMA) and is on the
planning committee of a national peace
conference to be sponsored by AAMA.

FQ price — $5.55
(Regular price — $6.95)

Profiles of Radical Reformers, Hans-
Jurgen Goertz, editor. Herald Press, 1982.
280 pages. $9.95.

Reviewed by Earl Martin

Two church leaders felt so
passionately about the oppression of their
people that they left their secure parishes
and took up their swords to lend support
to a people’s liberation struggle.

| recently met the one, Father
Conrado Balweg—automatic rifle under
his arm—in a remote mountain village in
the Philippines.

The second church activist, Thomas
Muntzer, | met in the pages of Profiles of
Radical Reformers.

This book is not a political tract. On
the contrary, the sketches of the twenty-
one radical reformers are unvarnished
historical accounts, sometimes tedious in
the reading for one not initiated to this
period of history. But then the volcanic
days of the Reformation were not casual
days. If you’re looking for an I’m-OK-
you’re-OK gospel, seek elsewhere. Here
you'll meet men (I’m sorry we_ hear
nothing about women of the era) whose

commitment to their faith and_ its
outworkings in the social order brought
them death.

Among these profiles are Conrad
Grebel, Menno Simons and_ other
Anabaptists who often gave stirring
witness to their refusal to spill the blood of
another. But Profiles helps us understand
that the lines between the Anabaptists
and the liberationist reformers were not
always so neatly drawn. Both groups
called for a fundamental restructuring of
the human social order itself.

It is a calling that challenges the
church today.

Earl Martin, who spent many _ years
working in Asia, is the author of Reaching the
Other Side, and on the staff of MCC U.S. Peace
Section in Washington, D.C.

FQ price — $8.95
(Regular price — $9.95)

Life With Promise, Marriage as a

Covenant Venture, Larry Martens.
Kindred Press, 1982. $4.95.

Reviewed by Peter Wiebe

Marriage dreams have been dashed
and many potential duets have turned to
duels. The author’s premise here is that a
covenant of faithfulness to God and each
other is the basis for meaningful and
growing relationships.

A covenant which is the basis for
marriage needs to be clear and clean, says
Dave Augsburger in his preface to Larry
Martens’ book. Partners of the covenant
need to be aware of themselves, what
they bring to the marriage, and converse
openly about the levels of this promise.

Larry Martens is a Mennonite
Brethren radio pastor, counsellor and
seminary professor. These thirteen
chapters were the basis for radio messages
and can be used for a quarter’s study in
the Sunday school.

Here is a resource in_ building
purposeful marriages, improving
communication, developing a_ healthy
approach to the sexual relationship,

24 November, December, 1982, January, 1983

handling conflict and maintaining
marriage unity.

This book is also an opportunity for
enriching marriage relationships, and to
help those who anticipate marriage to
explore deeper meanings before
covenanting.

The author communicates clearly,
uses Biblical texts to support his message,
and offers psychological theories for
understanding marriages. His outline is
clear and helpful. Discussion questions at
the conclusion of each chapter make it a
good tool for small groups.

Peter Wiebe is pastor of the Oak Grove
Mennonite Church, Smithville, Ohio.

FQ price — $4.45
(Regular price — $4.95)

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A. Main Offers

Caring Enough to Hear and Be Heard
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_______ Messenger of Grace: A Biography of
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The New China (Beechy), paper

Joining the Army that Sheds no Blood
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Profiles of Radical Reformers
(Goertz, ed.), paper

Life With Promise, Marriage as a
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The Holy Spirit in the New Testament

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Faith in a Nuclear Age (Beachey), paper

Nine Portraits: Brethren in Christ
Biographical Sketches (Sider), paper

B. Past Offers

_____ Facing Up to Nuclear War (Kraybill), paper

____ Breaking Silence (Glick and Pellman), paper

Nicole Visits an Amish Farm (Good and
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Why | Am A Conscientious Objector
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C. Books as Advertised

Page 29: God Rescues His People (MacMaster), paper

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Page 29: Loaves and Fishes (Hunt, Frase, and Liebert),

spiral
Page 29: Dear Tim (deSanto), paper

Page 29: Festive Cookies of Christmas (Voth), paper

Page 34: Still in the Image (Janzen)

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mennonite books: in review

The Holy Spirit in the New

Testament, David Ewert. Herald Press,
1983. 328 pages. $11.95.

Reviewed by Glen A. Roth

Pastors and energetic lay persons will
find Ewert’s book, The Holy Spirit in the
New Testament, to be a helpful resource
on the Holy Spirit. Small groups and
Sunday school classes wanting to engage
in extensive study on this theme should
consider using Ewert’s book as their text.

The author has taken the biblical
materials seriously and has attempted to
deal with them objectively. His frequent
references to the original language are a
great help in conveying both the intent
and the practical implications of the text.

One helpful emphasis in Ewert’s
book is that consistent ethical conduct in
one’s everyday life is a greater evidence of
the Spirit-filled life than are miracles, or a
life of “euphoria and sunshiny faces.”

Ewert should have given more careful
attention to the biblical teaching that the
Spirit is no respector of sex. Biblical
materials and contemporary illustrations
could have been used to show how the

faithful church utilizes Spirit-endowed
gifts of both men and women.

Ewert says that the Spirit is fashioning
new gifts for the church’s ministry today
that were not needed in the early church.
Although this concept is to be affirmed,
Ewert could have further clarified his
stance by listing and expounding upon
some of these gifts.

(Not available until its publication date on
January 8, 1983.)

Glen A. Roth is Assistant to the President of
the Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions and
Associate Pastor of the East Chestnut Street
Mennonite Church, Lancaster, PA.

FQ price — $9.55
(Regular price — $11.95)

REP” BUM DREAM UO ALK AA AAG

Faith in a Nuclear Age, Duane
Beachey. Herald Press, 1983. 128 pages.
$6.95.

Reviewed by Harriet Burkholder

This book is a call to Christians to
examine their commitment and_ to
determine their attitudes toward national
and individual conflict.

Lately there is a proliferation of
articles and books on the subject of
peace, particularly in relation to the
nuclear threat. However, since the
magnitude of the threat is finally hitting
more and more of us, the number of
productions still does not seem too many.

The value of this book is not that the
message and arguments in favor of the
peace-maker and pacifist are so new and
unique. (Beachey makes a point of the
difference between them.) But rather he
deals with the subject in a very readable
and understandable way. His key topics
range from a study of both Old and New
Testament sources, a consideration of the
“just war” theory, pacifism and the arms
race and our national honour and options
for peacemaking.

His audience seems to be those of
Evangelical and Fundamentalist beliefs
who argue against the pacifist position.
This he approaches well, with a grace that
becomes his claims of Christian love. |
specially enjoyed the story illustrations he
included and would have been glad for a
few more. The book has obviously
resulted from his work in the Mennonite
Voluntary Service program of Oklahoma
City. This book can be enlightening and
challenging for the ‘‘average”’ person,
both for the evangelical who does not
embrace pacifism as well as the one who

does.

Harriet Burkholder, Goshen, Indiana, is an
active churchwoman, and works with her
husband in Goshen College’s leadership.

FQ price — $5.55
(Regular price — $6.95)

Nine Portraits: Brethren in Christ
Biographical Sketches, £. Morris

Sider.
$6.95.

Reviewed by David J. Smucker

Evangel Press, 1978. 336 pages.

Enough time has elapsed since the
era (ca. 1850-1930) of these influential and
colorful leaders to see them within the
religious currents such as missions, divine
healing, educational institutions,
holiness, and non-resistance. But the
rewards of this nourishing volume arrive
via an immersion in the motivations and
vocabulary of these believers more than
through denominational interpretation.
Sider’s choice of phrases such as “flying
squadrons” of revivalists, “lizards” of
envy, “healthy colons,” “wild-fire’
Kansas holiness behavior and the “long
clogged inlet of Eternal Life” from diaries
and oral traditions helps evoke their
sturdy naivete so appealing to our age of
literary balance and_ ecclesiastical
bureaucracy.

The book’s linchpin is its longest
chapter on a remarkable woman named
Hannah Frances Davidson. The first
Brethren in Christ to earn a higher degree
(1888), she taught at McPherson College,

then heard God’s overwhelming call to
Africa. A linguist who ate locusts,
surveyed uncharted bush and promoted
missions in a 481-page book, her valiant
and prayerful struggle against male
domination in decades of service is a
striking story.

Using asmooth narrative style, Sider’s
respect for his subjects and_ their
delightful idiosyncracies is infectious.
Each portrait can satisfy the more casual
reader, while the group sheds light on the
impact of American evangelicalism felt by
a denomination with Anabaptist and
Pietist roots. These virtues could propel
the book into circles wider than the
Brethren in Christ.

David J. Smucker is the genealogist at the
Lancaster (PA) Mennonite Historical Society.

FQ Price — $6.25
(Regular price — $6.95)

Festival Quarterly 27

for people who enjoy wood

A whole line of unique home
furnishings for your kitchen, living
room, den, and bedroom. Rockers,
tables, stools, and plank bottom
chairs.

Write for brochure or
visit our showroom at

20 South Market Street
Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Phone: 717/367-4728

WHEN VISITING HISTORIC LANCASTER
COUNTY ... enjoy breakfast in our Pantry,
and lunch and dinner at one of the many
famous nearby restaurants. Tours leave twice
daily .. . and you'll return to your
immaculately clean room, even overlooking the
Mill Stream if you request. Five miles east of
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For reservations, write or call 717/299-0931

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reviewed or mentioned in our
book review and news
section. Check the “Quarter-
Order” between pages 24 and
25 for details.

Just one more benefit of belonging
to the FQ family!

In Praise Of Emptiness

by David W. Augsburger

There are moments (we’re_ not
supposed to admit it) when | feel
incredibly empty. | find | am not alone.
Most persons live with the awareness of
an inner void, with hungry hopes of
emptiness, looking for something out
there that will fill (we say “fulfill’’) or
complete (we say ‘“excite’) or give
meaning (we say “interest’’) to life. Such
emptiness evokes a desperate
dependency, an urgent search for
satisfaction (we speak of as “‘it’”’).

The “it” may be a place on the
football team, the chance to pitch, a
headline or a trophy. “It” may be finding
the most chic girl or attractive guy, the
sleekest car or the most prestigious
college. Later it may be a career, a
profession, a position. The list of “‘its’’ is
endless.

Beneath it hide the hopes that
multiply in emptiness.

“Perhaps | will find someone who will

Emptiness is to
be received as a gift
of grace. Grace
lurks in our
emptiness.

love me unconditionally, someone to give
me attention without evaluation,
someone who will be there no matter
what choices | make or actions | take.”

“Perhaps | will be able to achieve the
impossible, pull off some heroic success,
hit some streak of luck, or fall into the
graces of some benevolent hero and the
emptiness will all be filled.”

“Perhaps | will find an all-consuming
passion, or a total religious experience, or
an utterly releasing mystical union, or
discover the perfect community of
people and will be totally happy.”

Empty hopes press toward empty
solutions. We are not filled by a fortuitous
discovery, he-oic achievement or
overwhelming experience from without.
The empty searcher is hoping for the
hopeless. As the Hebrew proverb
expresses it, “It is like the fish swimming in
water, seeking water,’ or the Chinese
koan, “It is like a man riding on an ox in

28 November, December, 1982, January, 1983

search of an ox,” or the African wisdom,
“Can the mountain hide its highness, the
desert deny its dryness?”

Emptiness is at the center of our
humanness. To flee it is to miss the
creative Openness toward creation and
the Creator. To stuff it full of things is to
block our ability to receive others in
listening love. To anesthetize it with
addictive experiences is to deaden the
creative springs of the true self.

Substance addictions numb
awareness so the emptiness is temporarily
silenced; work addictions overcrowd the
schedule so the emptiness is forgotten;
addictive love attaches the person
parasitically to others so the emptiness is
masked; addictive religion floods the
mind with cyclical superspirituality so that
the emptiness is submerged; addictive
depression can blanket the inner
emotions with fears of the emptiness and
grieving for its presence.

Emptiness is to be embraced as a gift.

Emptiness, like all space, is three
dimensional: one, as openness to others
and the breadth of relationships; two, as
openness to the self and the welcoming of
depth in wonder, awe, quietness, waiting;
and three, as openness to height, to the
transcendent, to God, to the upward call
of the Spirit.

Emptiness is to be received as a gift of
grace. Grace lurks in our emptiness. As we
make peace with the open void, the
incompleteness within, it is completed by
the grace which accepts even our
unacceptable parts, appreciates even
those sides of the self we have sought to
extinguish. The emptiness too is precious.
Real hope lies in the discovery that | am
graced not because, but as | am, not
because | am_ successful, achieving,
earning, meriting and all that, but as | am.

If these have
seemed like empty
words, empty com-
fort, make peace
with your own
emptiness. You may
hear a whisper of
wisdom in them.

&

David and Nancy Augsburger recently
spent two months in Asia. David is associate
professor of pastoral care and counseling at the
Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries in
Elkhart, Indiana, and the author of many books
about communication and relationships.

For Children
aT

God Rescues His People
Eve MacMaster’s second
volume in the Herald Story
Bible Series tells how God’s
family becomes the nation of
Israel and how Moses, the
servant of God, leads God’s
people out of slavery in Egypt.
Paper $5.95

in Canada $7.15

The Sorrel Horse

Ruth Nulton Moore’s sensitive
story of acceptance of what
one is, regardless of handicaps
or background. The story
includes horses, khana,
and a haunted mill.

Paper $3.50

in Canada $4.20

Loaves and Fishes

Linda Hunt, Marianne Frase,
and Doris Liebert created a
whimsical children’s cookbook
that introduces kids to healthy
eating in a world of limited
resources. 120 simple recipes
that children 7-and-up can
make themselves. Illustrated
throughout with children’s art.
Spiral $6.95

in Canada $8.35

For Youth
RES,

Joining the Army That
Sheds No Blood

Sue C. Steiner explains the
Bible passages that invite us to
be peacemakers, and includes
stories about Christian
peacemakers today and
throughout the centuries.
Here are practical issues
young peacemakers are facing
today—career choices,
military service, the nuclear
arms race.

Paper $6.95

in Canada $8.35

Dear Tim

Charles P. De Santo provides
a fresh, straightforward
presentation of the basic
Christian beliefs for his son
Tim. “Giving this book to a
son or daughter would be a
tremendous gift.” —John and
Sandra Drescher

Paper $7.95

in Canada $9.55

For Everyone
eee a)

Festive Cookies of
Christmas

Norma Jost Voth’s newest
delightful collection of old
traditions, recipes, and lore of
the Christmas season.

Paper $3.25,

in Canada $3.90

The New China

Winifred Beechy reacquaints
us with more than one fourth
of our world neighbors in the
People’s Republic of China.
We get a glimpse of their daily
lives—how they work and
play, fail and succeed, dream

and hope, live and worship.
Paper $6.95,
in Canada $8.35

Breaking Silence

Donald R. Pellman and Ferne
P. Glick tell the story of Craig
and Carson Glick, twins who
were born deaf. The reader
will discover that the world of
deaf persons—especially
children—is anything but
quiet. Through their
compelling story, you will grow
in your understanding of
deafness and family life.
Hardcover $10.95,

in Canada $13.15

Paper $6.95,

in Canada $8.35

Facing Nuclear War

Donald Kraybill “looks despair
in the eye and gives a reason
for hope... . Everyone who is
waging peace, or thinking of it,
should read this book.” —
John K. Stoner, MCC U.S.
Peace Section. “For the
Christian who may read only
one book on nuclear
weapons, that one book
should be Facing Nuclear
War.’ —Edgar Metzler, New
Call to Peacemaking

Paper $8.95,

in Canada $10.75

Caring Enough to Hear
and Be Heard

David Augsburger’s newest
“caring enough” book helps
you learn how to hear as well
as speak to be heard.

Paper $4.95,

in Canada $5.95

For Parents
aa NE)

Inside and Occupied

Nancy S. Williamson s
collection of over 500 creative
ideas, projects, and inspiration
to help the family provide a
solid foundation for its
children intellectually,
physically, socially, and
spiritually.

Paper $9.95, in Canada $11.95

New

January Books!
EASE eRe a

Faith in a Nuclear Age
“Duane Beachey s incisive material
provides strong assistance for
e,ploring key social/ethical issues
from within the framework of our
shared evangelical and biblical faith.
His style is readable and enjoyable
as well as provocative. _. It is
needed, timely, and challenging.
Each of us will be a better
peacemaker as we wrestle with this
suggested Christian response to
war. —Ted W. Engstrom,
President, World Vision, Inc.

Paper $6.95, in Canada $8.35
The Holy Spirit in the New
Testament

David Ewert surveys the whole
range of New Testament authors to
discover what they have to say on
the Holy Spirit and what this means
for the life of the believer and for the
church. “Theological exposition at
its best, supported by extensive
exegetical commentary and spiced
by inspirational applications... .
Ewert writes clearly, enabling
laypersons to read and study the
book with profit. At the same time,
college and seminary students will
learn much from the study as

well.” —Willard Swartley, Associated
Mennonite Biblical Seminaries
Paper $11.95, in Canada $14.35

Herald Press
Dept. FQ

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616 Walnut Avenue vs 117 King Street West
Scottdale, PA Kitchener, ON
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When traveling through Ontario
this year....

_. we'd like to welcome you to Elmira and
St. Jacobs. Whether you are interested in
scenery or in antiques, whether you like
shopping or hiking, taking pictures or just
meeting people, there is plenty to see and to do
in the area.

Take time to discover the many craft and gift
shops in the historic St. Jacobs Country Mill.

And while you are there, a visit to the Stone
Crock restaurants is always ‘‘in good taste.”

| the STONE CROCK |

Restaurant & Gift Shop

Now in two locations:
King Street, St. Jacobs, Ontario NOB 2NO
Phone: (519) 664-2286
and
59 Church Street West, Elmira, Ontario
N3B 1M8
Phone: (519) 669-1521

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with tracker action in simple
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Brunzema Organs Inc.
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1 eT Une Paces saree AGENTS

1 | cortity thet the statements made by
me above

are correct end complete

people stories

“As a Mennonite and a

Hispanic Activist . . .

“latins Rise in Numbers in U.S., but
Don’t Win Influence or Affluence,” stated
a Wall Street Journal article in June, 1982.
Hispanics have failed to attain social,
economic or political standing, although
they are the second fastest-growing
minority group in the U.S. with a
population of 14.6 million. Compared to
69% of Anglos, only 43% of Hispanics are
high school graduates. Hispanic median
family income is only 74% of the U.S.
population.

It is my strong conviction that
Mennonites, as Christians concerned
about justice, have a duty to address a
situation that through a combination of
poor education, poverty, and
discrimination, has resulted in Hispanics
being frozen out of politics, the
professions and other decision-making
positions. This personal conviction was
my motivation in assisting to create the
Minnesota Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce. The Chamber’s goals are to
inform its members about business
opportunities, to educate its members on
business-related issues, and to motivate
its members and the general Minnesota
business community to further Hispanic
economic development.

As a member of Faith Mennonite
Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, |
sought to obtain the participation of the
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC),
the Mennonite Volunteer Service, and
the Mennonite Economic Development
Agency (MEDA) in helping to direct
Hispanics away from blue-collar and
semi-skilled jobs in construction, manu-
facturing and agriculture fields, prone to
high seasonal or cyclical unemployment. |
recall several church members being
concerned that | was encouraging
Hispanics to become full participants in
an oppressive capitalistic structure. One
member wanted the Chamber to
concentrate its efforts on bicycle
cooperatives, not on building Hispanic
businesses in the Hispanic community.
MCC. personnel felt uncomfortable

working with what they perceived as the

Hispanic middle class and not the “real”
poor. MEDA offered a hint of assistance,
but neither personnel nor money

30 November, December, 1982, January, 1983

99

materialized.

Personally, | was surprised at the
double standard being applied to
Hispanics. Mennonites came to this
country as immigrants, soon became

As a Mennonite
and a Hispanic activist,
| sometimes travel a
lonely twilight zone.
Among my Menno-
nite brethren, |
cannot comprehend a
mentality that can
grasp the global issues
of peace, but fails to
recognize that with-
out social, political,
and economic
equality, there will be
no justice or peace for
the minorities in their
own backyard.

landowners, prospered and without fully
realizing it became an integral part of this
capitalistic nation. Hispanics also want to
participate in the bountiful harvest that
this country provides.
True assistance

that fosters

by Alberto Quintela, Jr.

independence and positive self-images in
the beneficiary is not one that extends a
fish or vegetable to a needy person, but
one which provides fishing or gardening
skills to that person. Concentrated as they
are in urban settings, Hispanics need skills
that will assist them in entering the
American economy. In order to be
masters of their destiny, Hispanics do not
need soup lines, second-hand clothing
stores and similar social services that
create dependence. Such “helping” acts
are, in the long run, demeaning, both to
the giver as well as the receiver.

It is very frustrating to see talented
and educated Mennonite volunteers
treating the symptoms of poverty and
oppression, instead of being interested in
resolving the root causes. Christ, though
he had the power, did not set himself up
as a welfare state administrator. Only on
limited occasions did Christ provide food
gratis, and that was to deal with asituation
which his presence had created. While
MCC has finally developed a volunteer
position with the Chamber, it has had
difficulty filling it.

| currently serve as legal counsel to
the United States Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce and one of my dreams is to
place a Mennonite worker in the 20 states
and the 135 local Chambers represented
in that organization. Let us witness in this
area, for there are now some 25,000
Hispanic businesses in the U.S., with
some annual sales of more than $12
billion. The Hispanics represent a $60
billion consumer market.

With or without Mennonite or
Christian guidance, Hispanics are moving
into the business area. Christ-like actions
and attitudes will not automatically spring
up from these emerging business persons.
Surely we as Mennonites have a duty to
reach out to these individuals and to
present alternatives that will produce
business actions beneficial to the total
Hispanic community.

While we Hispanics seek to emerge
from seasonal and blue-collar work
inclined to high unemployment, we also
Strive to penetrate a political power
structure that wears a white face. Despite
our small numbers in Minnesota, we have

an elected Hispanic State Senator and a
Hispanic State Representative. Since 1979,
| have had the privilege of working with
Representative Frank Rodriguez in trying
to address the fact that Hispanics
traditionally fail to register and vote. This
effort is often met with discussion on the
division of church and state among my
Mennonite brethren. Secure in their
middle-class existence, Mennonites do
not appear to comprehend the need to
change political decisions that neglect
street pavings, educational services and
other essential municipal services in
minority communities.

As a Mennonite and a Hispanic
activist, | sometimes travel a lonely
twilight zone. Among my Mennonite
brethren, | cannot comprehend a
mentality that can grasp the global issues
of peace, but fails to recognize that
without social, political and economic
equality, there will be no justice or peace
for the minorities in their own backyard.
The Hispanic community justifiably reacts
suspiciously to a religious establishment
that appears to be part of an oppressive
structure, ready with cheese and other
handouts, but with no viable effort to
create economic self-subsistence for
minorities. As a Christian | realize that
neither social, political nor economic
gains will ultimately result in true peace.
However, these structures determine
how we deal with each other and serve as
a basis for the expression of our Christian
faith. Today | strive to formulate an active
Christian faith, relevant to Hispanics
stranded in a highly technological and
industrialized society,
while relating to
Mennonites _ tradi-
tionally from small-
town agricultural
settings.

Alberto Quintela, St. Paul, Minnesota, is an
attorney, an officer of the Minnesota Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce, and _ Associate
Consultant for Hispanic Ministries to the
General Conference Mennonite Church.

Bob Regier

is coming!

4
Robert Regier, respected artist,
professor of art, and columnist for
Festival Quarterly will be a
featured instructor at the Visual
Arts Conference at The People’s
Place, March 11 and 12 (Friday
7:30 p.m. through Saturday 5:00

p.m).

For registration information write to:
VISUAL ARTS CONFERENCE, The
People’s Place, Intercourse, PA
17534. Or call 717/768-7171.

Yes—

| want to subscribe to

Festival Quarterly for: |
| 0 1 yr. $7.75 in the US.
(all other countries—$8.95 U.S. Funds) |
| 2 yrs. $14.80 in the U.S.
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Festival Quarterly |
| 2497 Lincoln Highway East
Festival Quarterly 31

best-selling books: in review

A Light in the Attic, Shel Silverstein.
Harper and Row, 1981. 169 pages.

Fortunate the grown-up who picks up
this book to read aloud to a child! For this is
more than kiddies’ fare.

Shel Silverstein’s voice is both childlike
and adult. Will it frighten you off if | tell you
that he speaks in poems? If it does you'll
miss a pile of fun, for his little speeches are
enhanced by the rollicking lines and the
corny rhymes.

His subject matter are those private
little worries we each have but didn’t realize
anyone else had (“Mo memorized the
dictionary But just can’t seem to find a job
Or anyone who wants to marry Someone
who memorized the dictionary.”); the
possible conclusion of otherwise familiar
stories (The Prince who searched for
Cinderella to the point of exhaustion and
finally sighed, “And | still love her so, but oh,
I’ve started hating feet.”); the literal
extension of some common words (Mrs.
McTwitter who “thinks a_ baby-sitter’s
supposed to sit upon the baby.”); poignant
human moments (“The Little Boy and the
Old Man” who find they share a lot: ‘But
worst of all,’ said the boy, ‘it seems Grown-
ups don’t pay attention to me.’ And he felt

the warmth of a wrinkled old hand. ‘I know
what you mean,’ said the little old man.”).
And in one case, “The Hippo’s Hope,” the
reader gets to choose the ending. Silverstein
offers a “Happy ending,” an “Unhappy
ending,” and a “Chicken ending.”

Charming drawings make _ this
collection downright ticklish and tender.
“Quick Trip” and “Deaf Donald” would
never work if they were words alone.

This book is medicine for those who
take themselves more seriously than they
ought, for those whose childlikeness has
been choked out by adultlikeness, for those
whose imaginations have gone tinder dry.

Guaranteed, if you read one of these
lyrics, you'll want to read more. One more
hint — they’re best read aloud. With a
friend. For instance:

“lll take the dream I had last night

And put it in my freezer,

So someday long and far away

When I’m an old grey geezer,

I'll take it out and thaw it out,

This lovely dream I’ve frozen,

And boil it up and sit me down

And dip my old cold toes in.”

TOURMAGINATION WILL TAKE YOU TO MENNONITE WORLD CONFERENCE

If you are going to Strasbourg for M.W.C., July 24 to 29, 1984, wouldn’t you like to
also visit the places where the Anabaptist/Mennonite Story happened? We have
planned six tours: some longer, some shorter, most using hotels, one using youth
hostels, one including Israel, some including the Oberammergau Passion Play, all
offering the usual TourMagination special features.

TOUR/DATES: LEADERS:

84A, July 4-23
(20 days, from N.Y.)

84B, July 6-23, with Oberammergau
(18 days, from N.Y.)

84C, July 7-23
(17 days, from N.Y.)

84D, July 30-August 14, with Oberammergau
(16 days, from Chicago)

84E, July 30-August 14, economy tour,
youth hostels, (16 days, from N.Y.)

Israel 84, July 30-August 11, Europe & Israel
(13 days, from N.Y.)

Jan Gleysteen
Leon Stauffer

Wilmer Martin
John Ruth

Arnold Cressman
David Hostetler

Cal Redekop
Virgil Regehr
Alice Roth

Willard Roth

Jan Gleysteen
John Lederach
Naomi Lederach

Book early to assure first choice.

Write for information, prices, about these and other tours:

1210 Loucks Ave.
Scottdale, PA 15683

MAGINATION 131 Erb St. W.
Waterloo, ONT N2L 117

32 November, December, 1982, January, 1983

quarterly film ratings

Best Friends — Burt Reynolds acts for a change,
and Goldie Hawn shines, funnily. But the
script is mush. Two writers who’ve been
friends become lovers and decide to marry.
The in-laws take the inspiration out of it.
(6)

Celeste — A very, very slow portrait of Proust’s
maid and friend. Asense of artistic structure
adds strength. (3)

Das Boot (The Boat) — A gripping film about a
German sub during World War Two. Full of
suspense, surprise, and the fear of death.
Strong acting, superb photography. (9)

Five Days One Summer — Master filmmaker
Fred Zinnemann fails to fire the soul of this
story, but several of the scenes and the
absolutely dazzling photography of
mountain climbing do come off excellently.
Sean Connery and Betsy Brantley portray a
doctor who runs off to the Alps with his
niece whom he loves. (6)

48 Hrs. — Eddie Murphy steals the show as the
convict con artist in this police thriller. Nick
Nolte is the cop who pulls the convict out of
prison for two days to help solve a police
murder. Violent and fast-paced. (4)

Ghandi — An epic masterpiece about this
century’s great apostle of peace and non-
violence. Richard Attenborough’s labor of
love and Ben Kingsley’s performance of the
great leader fill the screen with images and
words which touch and inspire. Of special
interest to Mennonites. (9)

Kiss Me Goodbye — A cute approach to
widowhood and its miseries. Sally Field
portrays a widow intent on marrying a
museum expert (Jeff Bridges), but her dead
husband (James Caan) reappears bodily in
ghost form. Comical and sometimes tender.

(4)

L’Adolescence — A French film about a young
girl growing up on the eve of World War
Two. Misty and French-paced, but strong in
certain characterizations. (6)

Le Beau Mariage — A young woman who’s
been living with a married painter leaves
him and announces that she’s going to get
married. She has no one in mind. This
French film by Rohmer details her search in
characterizations which linger. (6)

The Missionary — An Anglican missionary sets
up a home for prostitutes in Edwardian
London. Flip, slapstick, and unsatisfactory.
(1)

Monsignor — A look at financial misdeeds high
in the Vatican. Sounds interesting, but
Christopher Reeves as Father Flaherty is a
disaster. Totally unbelievable. A pity. Could
have been a masterpiece, ala Graham
Green. (2)

Moonlighting — A tense, humorous story
about four Polish workmen who sneak into
London to fix up the flat of a wealthy friend.
Becomes allegorical. (6)

My Favorite Year — An outstanding per-
formance by Peter O’Toole as the shallow,
drunken movie star who appears on live
television. (7)

Night Shift — An underrated comedy about
two men who work in a New York morgue
who wander into a new version of
prostitution. Henry Winkler stars and
Michael Keaton shines. (5)

Still of the Night — A cheat. A thriller with top
acting (Meryl Streep, Roy Scheider) which
goes nowhere. (4)

The Tempest — Paul Mazursky’s allegorical tale
of mid-life crisis. A wealthy architect leaves

it all for an island, alone with his lover, his
daughter, and a shepherd. Has its moments.
(5)

Tex — Don’t be put off by the Disney label. A
poignant but funny look at the frustrated
life of an Oklahoma teenager. Matt Dillon
stars. (8)

Time Stands Still — A Hungarian film about
the generation following the revolution
with all of its troubles, caught between
paranoid memories, drunken parties, and
yearnings. (6)

Tootsie — An_ intensely satisfying film
experience. Brilliant writing, superb acting
(Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange), and strong
direction: A frustrated actor beats the odds
by impersonating an actress, only to
become a national star. Explores femininity
in a new way. Very funny. (9)

The Verdict — Another strong, engaging per-
formance by Paul Newman in a film which
raises questions about the ethics of the
medical profession. A failed lawyer takes a
malpractice suit against the powers
(including a church-operated hospital).
Superb. (8)

Winter of Our Dreams — Australian film about
a young book dealer who becomes
attached to a prostitute while looking into
the death of a friend. Impressionistic and
sensitive, it lacks movement. (4)

Yol — A muted Turkish film unlike most
cinematic visions, strong and seering in its
simplicity. You'll never forget it. Follows
five men who are given a one-week leave
from a Turkish prison. (9)

Films are rated from an adult FQ perspective on
a scale from 1 through 9, based on their
sensitivity, integrity, and technique.

Annual Writers Conference

Katie Funk Wiebe

David Waltner-Toews

& Act
Eugene Kraybill

Friday, January 28, 1983 (7:30 p.m.)
through Saturday, January 29, 1983 (5:00 p.m.)

For registration materials, just write to Annual Writers Conference, The
People’s Place, Main Street, Intercourse, PA 17534 (Phone 717/768-
7171). Registration limited to eighty persons to insure personal

access fo instructors.

Katie Funk Wiebe, Hillsboro, KS, author,
columnist, professor
— “The Ten Do’s and Don'ts of
Writing” (lecture)
— “Learning to Write the Short
Article” and
“What I’ve Learned about Editors”
(workshop)

David Waltner-Toews, Guelph, Ontario,
poet, columnist, veterinarian
— “How! Go About Writing” (lecture)
— “Learning to Write Poetry’
(workshop)

Eugene Kraybill, Lancaster, PA, journalist
and writer
— “A Frank Appraisal of Church
Joumalism” (lecture)
— “Learning to Write the News
Article” (workshop)

The

People’s

Festival Quarterly 33

Histo civ

to educate / to challenge / to live by

Stillinthe |
LIMAQE trai and Anshropooe

Waldemar Janzen

The author has collected a dozen of his addresses and
papers written for various occasions into a coherent
and eminently readable volume. Subtitled “Essays in
Biblical Theology and Anthropology”’ it offers several
groupings of essays on subjects that attempt to re-
spond biblically to the question: What does it mean
to live as a human being under God? The first group
of essays, Bridging the Distance, addresses the ques-
tion of divine-human communication. The second
group, Blessings and Boundaries, looks at human ex-
istence and limitation. The third group, In Quest of
Place, considers our orientation in God’s world. The
fourth group, The Burden of War, responds to the
problem of human destructiveness.

ISBN 0-87303-076-1 * 240 pages * paper

1982. U.S. $10.95
Canada $12.95

The House
at the Back of
the Lot Helen C. Coon

Ellen Schmidt grew up in Chicago in
the wartime years of the 1940s be-
fore TV and the atom bomb changed
the fabric of American life. Although the
main plot deals with Ellen’s attempt to
win a school art contest, a strong component of the
story is her coming to terms with a family and a life-
style that is different from those around her. Protes-
tant, Republican, and pacifist was about as different
as you could be in Chicago during 1944 and 745. The
warm family life, hospitality, and strong principles of
the Schmidt family provide a climate for growth both
for the main character and young readers.

ISBN 0-87303-077-X + 147 pages * paper

1982. U.S. $6 .95
Canada $8 .95

Box 347
Newton, KS 67114

316/283-5100

Faith and
Life Press

w

34 November, December, 1982, January, 1983

More Foibles

by Katie Funk Wiebe

Some Mennonite women arrived at the Pearly Gates only
to be asked to spend some time in the other place because the
heavenly portals were temporarily overfilled because of
remodeling. Ever submissive, down they went, assured they
would soon have a spot in the better place. Before long, Satan
rushed to St. Peter, demanding the women be transferred as
quickly as possible.

“What’s the problem?” asked the holy gatekeeper.

“Well,” replied the women’s reluctant host, “‘as soon as
they got there, they started having bake sales, and they’ve
nearly raised enough money to air condition the place already.
Get them out!”

The Mennonites migrating to America feared for their
lives when a storm tossed the small ship mercilessly.
Repeatedly they went to the captain for assurance, and each
time he promised them a safe voyage. “You don’t need to
worry ” he told them,” until the stokers in the boiler room quit
swearing.” When the storm continued with full force, the
Mennonite leaders returned again and again to the boiler
room to listen to the men inside, shoveling coal in the furious
heat, and then to return to their fellow travelers to report,
“Gott sei dank sie fluchen noch!” (God be thanked they’ re still
cursing.)

After arriving in Ontario, Canada, from Russia, the new
immigrant’s first task was to accompany another man to the
village of Kitchener, nine miles distant, to peddle farm
products. In the city, the two men separated, the new
immigrant knocking on doors of Germans and the other on
those of English customers. One day the immigrant couldn't
get his horse to move. He had forgotten the English words to
make the horses go and they didn’t react to the Russian, “Ho,
ho,” because that sounded too much like the Canadian
“Whoa.” The man heard a passing waggoner shout something
to his horses and tried the same words. When his friend
returned, he heard the man set his horse going with a loud
“Goddam.” “‘Don’t swear,” admonished the friend. “I wasn’t
swearing; | only said what you say,” replied the other. The
Canadian answered, “But | say ‘Get up,’ not ‘Goddam.’ ” —

Mennonite Folklife and Folklore by R. W. Brednich.

Q. How many Mennonites does it take to change a
lightbulb?

A. Thirteen. Six to form the committee to decide what type
of bulb to use, another six to plan the church supper when it
will be replaced, and one person to screw it in. — Submitted in
many versions from numerous readers.

A couple had a baby every year with
alarming regularity. After the birth of
the tenth child, the husband decided to
consult a doctor. “What did he say?”
asked the wife on his return.“From now
on I'll have to sleep in the hayloft,” he
replied. Thoughtfully she replied, “If you
think it will help, I’ll sleep there too.”

&

Katie Funk Wiebe is writer of many books and columns, and an
English teacher at Tabor College.

The editors invite you to submit humorous stories and anecdotes
that you’ve experienced or heard. We are not interested in stock jokes —
we want human interest stories with a humorous Mennonite twist. Keep
your submission to no more than 100 words and send them to Katie Funk
Wiebe, Tabor College, Hillsboro, KS 67063. She will give credit to
anecdotes she selects.

comment

The Bomb and the Bishops

Each quarter Festival Quarterly
features speeches or essays from the
larger world which because of their
subject, unusual sensitivity, or wisdom are
of interest to our readers.

The people I know are very selective,
even discriminating, when it comes to the
subject of churchmen in politics. Another
way of putting it is that they are
inconsistent. When some prelate ex-
presses a view they like, they will rejoice,
reverentially citing this opinion as evi-
dence that moral right is on their side.
When the opinion goes the other way,
however, they do not argue back but raise
an entirely different question: What right
does this churchman have to muck
around in politics? Does he not skate
dangerously close to violating the con-
stitutional separation of church and state?
And anyway, silly, sheltered thing—what
can he possibly know of the affairs of the
world?

We are witnessing all this again inthe
reaction to the Roman Catholic bishops
and their proposed pastoral letter on
nuclear warfare. | have a feeling that the
bishops’ nuclear strategy and mine (we
are both entitled to have one and so are
you, despite what the professional strate-
gists say) will be different. But our
prospective disagreement is not what
interests me. What interests me is that the
bishops are being denounced for getting
into this at all by many people who admire
churchly intervention in secular affairs
when the intervention comes on their
side, conservatives who talk a lot about
putting religious values back into our
public life. Then who is defending them?
Who else but many of those liberals who
have spent the past several years ex-
plaining to anyone who will listen what a
threat it is to the very foundations of our
republic that (conservative) men of the
cloth are involving themselves in political
affairs.

Intervention: This sort of thing has
been going on for years. People who
found Dr. Martin Luther King’s political
interventions sublime see those of Dr.
Jerry Falwell as a terrible trespass of
church on state. Cardinal Francis
Spellman and the Rev. William Sloane
Coffin were both thought to be over-
reaching themselves and meddling
obtrusively in American foreign policy

when they got involved with the spiritual
welfare of American servicemen and
draftees during the Vietnam War—
though each was of course thought to be
overreaching by a different set of people
who in fact approved of what the other
prelate did.

What accounts for this funny
business? My feeling is that people will
take expert, supporting testimony for
their opinions anywhere they find it—
even from preachers—but that the
stronger of the two sentiments involved
here is the one that is basically suspicious
of the role of churchmen in public affairs.

Some of this, | think, is based on mere
confusion. For example, people have
somehow crazily converted the con-
stitutional prohibition against the
establishment of a state religion, which
was meant to guarantee freedom of
religious expression for all, into a kind of
generalized suspicion of religious
expression as something fundamentally
subversive of our freedom. So there is, to
begin with, a mixed-up perception that
churchmen whose vocation is to minister
to our moral and spiritual condition
should keep their mouths shut on
everything secular that is of greatest moral
and spiritual concern to us—otherwise, it

is thought, they will wreck our
democracy. This is nuts.
There is also at work here an

unworthy and equally selective anxiety
that these prelates are nothing but a pack
of spellbinders and hypnotists who,
turned loose on their hopelessly
suggestible prey, will persuade people to
believe all sorts of dangerous nonsense.
This is more than just the ordinary put-
down of one’s fellow citizens, that
lamentable belief held by so many
Americans that all other Americans are
gullible fools in urgent need of pro-
tection. It has a specifically religious
angle.

We_-have not advanced much in the
West over the past couple of thousand
years in demvystifying each other’s
religions. People who are not Catholics or
Jews or evangelical Protestants tend to
think that highly sinister mysteries and
obligations of fellowship attend each of
these faiths and that the commitment of
each to the common, secular democratic
good is asecond-level priority at best. This
ignorance may account for the otherwise

by Meg Greenfield

astounding fact that in an age of junk mail,
Muzak and unending electronic
bombardmentsuch as ours people should
worry about the undue mesmeric effect
of a preacher’s words—even his most
seductive or inflammatory ones.

The other side of such misplaced awe
is a kind of matching contempt. It is a very
short distance from the idea that
religious experience is a bunch of
manipulative, mystical bunk to the
development of a strong aversion to
preachers getting into our public life at
all. Not that each side in a political
argument won't capitalize on a church
figure who takes its view. But by and large,
the feeling is that preachers are
unqualified to speak on practical affairs.

Confusion: In our pop culture over
the years we have habitually confused
virtue and a concern with moral values
with denatured, unworldly, sissy
figures—cutesy Barry Fitzgerald priests, or
the stock wartime chaplain of the movies
who, after a namby-pamby irrelevant
existence up to the last reel, finally gets
sore at the Japanese, steps up to man an
ack-ack gun and says something daring
and uncharacteristic, like damn! to the
overwhelming applause of the audience.
Weil, the unspoken thought goes, he
finally got a touch of what it’s like in the
real world. | sense a comparable
sentiment in the exasperation expressed
that the bishops should presume to advise
our nuclear specialists. What can they
know of these affairs? Why don’t they just
bless the bayonets and go home?

Here one encounters the maniacal
compartmentalization of our modern life,
the hubris of the politicians and
bureaucrats and “experts” with their
terrible notion that all is process and
technique, devoid of any need of a
human or spiritual dimension. Even
dissenting, as | expect | will from much of
what the bishops conclude, | wish them
well in taking on this particular arrogance.
One caveat: some people think any
rebuttal of the bishops’ argument is,
somehow, unfair, inappropriate, even
repressive. Not true—the bishops should
expect a good fight. They should also
expect and forgive a certain amount of
howling about their unaccustomed
venture into matters where in fact they do
belong. Maybe they won’t wait so long
next time.

© 1982 by Newsweek, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reprinted by permission.

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